


Intersection

by Juliette591



Series: Heaven Coming Down [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Declarations Of Love, F/M, First Time Sex, Mild Cursing, Minor Violence, Oral Sex, POV Alternating, Shower Sex, Trigger Warning: Cutting, incident of domestic abuse, introduction of OFC, sex scenes begin in chapter 10, trigger warning: PTSD, trigger warning: self-harm
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-25
Updated: 2017-09-25
Packaged: 2018-06-04 10:22:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 61,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6654190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Juliette591/pseuds/Juliette591
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky Barnes is at a crossroads, literally and figuratively, when he meets someone who ends up taking him down a path he never thought would be his.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Drawing Down the Moon

The moon hung high in the starless sky. Bucky was barely aware of the traffic that flowed past him at a steady rate as he walked along the avenue, the name of which he’d barely registered. Several days earlier he had slipped past the Canadian border guards at Cornwall, Ontario and was now traversing a Montreal suburb. He had no real plan to stop. In fact, it seemed like constantly being on the move actually helped calm his mind, which was preoccupied with a barrage of images that he’d spent hours staring at within the confines of the Smithsonian.

It had been weeks since he’d walked through the museum doors but it felt like only hours. He’d seen the equivalent of a tomb for a man he barely recognized as someone who vaguely resembled himself. Testimonies and tributes were etched in glass and paint and ink, all dedicated to the man named James Buchanan Barnes who shared his face but whom he could barely recall.

The photos were weathered with age. Decades had passed since they’d been taken. They’d been restored of course. Digitized. It didn’t matter though. The years that had passed hung heavy on his conscience. What he’d done during those years, regardless of whether or not he’d been a willing participant, made him feel no less guilty.

In the present he stopped at the edge of the rear parking lot of a strip mall and stared out at the empty expanse. Closed hours ago the only remnants of daytime activity were the overflowing recycling bins and garbage cans that lined the wall alongside the backdoor of a grocery store.

He jogged over to the double doors and slowly turned the knob to test its strength. It clicked open effortlessly and he quietly slipped inside. Careful to remain in the stockroom area he quickly filled his duffel bag with the non-perishable items closest to him: bags of crackers, juice boxes and vacuum-sealed packages of beef jerky. Two minutes later he exited the building as swiftly as he’d entered and was soon back on the sidewalk alongside the nameless avenue.

The air was cool. Soon it would be autumn. He stared at the sidewalk as his marched forward. He took in a deep breath and began to allow himself to think about what step to take next. Could he somehow approach Steve now? With all that he knew of his past, would Steve forgive him? Could he begin to forgive himself? He shivered at the thought.

Bucky was tired. It was after 1am and he needed to find a secluded spot where he could grab at least an hour’s sleep before hitting the road again. He looked up and studied the street signs at the intersection where he stood; it was a crossroads literally and figuratively. Whichever direction he chose would be the first step toward his ultimate destination but as to which way to go… well, he was at a loss.

Just at that moment a nighttime city bus pulled up to the corner across the street from him. He looked over curiously at the sound of the doors groaning open.

\-------------------------

Sophie Corbeau was determined that the first time Alexandre DuMaurier hit her was the also going to be the last. She was not raised to put up with physical abuse no matter how many apologies it was followed by.

They’d only been dating a couple of months and in that time Alex had never shown a hint of a violent temper until that night. She'd gotten home late from work and he’d been in a bad mood the minute she walked in the door of his apartment. They had planned a date night at his place of Italian food and Netflix but she had to cover a coworker’s shift for a couple of hours at the last minute.

“Where the fuck you been?” he demanded as she dropped her bag and kicked off her boots in the vestibule.

“Amanda had to split early so I covered for her. I called you about it,” she said as she padded over to the fridge to grab a beer.

Sophie worked nights as a bartender at Club Le Boite Noir and spent her days taking art classes at the technical college downtown. It was 11:30pm on a Friday night, she was beat and in no mood for the third degree. She’d had her fill of rowdy jerks for one night and wasn’t up for round two.

Alex stared at her for a long time before he spoke again, “I don’t like you working at the place. Too many guys hit on you,” he said evenly.

She sighed and walked over to where he was sitting on the edge of the couch and sat down next to him. “Ahh don’t worry, I can handle myself,” she said, leaning her head on his shoulder.

She was stunned when he roughly pushed her away and got to his feet. “Maybe I should say it clear enough so you’ll get it through your thick head,” he said. “I don’t want you working there so tomorrow you’re gonna walk in there and tell Shay that you’re quitting. You hear me?”

She stared at him.

“What the hell? Tell me you’re kidding Alex,” she laughed as she took a swig of her beer.

His response was to grab the bottle out of her hand and smash it on the floor.

“You’re gonna fucking do what I tell you!” and slapped her so hard across the face for a few moments she saw stars.

She stumbled back onto the couch and fell into a sitting position. Once back upright she looked at him in shock. He clenched his fists and the fury on his face made him almost unrecognizable.

She got up and made her way to the bathroom and locked the door behind her. She stared at her reflection for a long time before running the cold water and splashing her face to try to bring the heat under her skin down. The entire left side of her face was bright red and at a certain angle a handprint could be seen starting to develop.

“Fuck!” she swore under her breath. Just then she heard a soft knock.

“Honey?” Alex said in a gentle voice, “Honey I’m sorry. Please open the door.”

She hesitated to respond then reluctantly called out, “Give me a minute Alex.”

She had already begun to formulate her exit strategy. Stay calm, let him keep talking, keep a fair amount of distance between them and then get the hell out of there as soon as possible.

She finished toweling off and took a deep breath before unlocking the door and stepping back out. He was standing in the hallway close to the entryway to the kitchen, a fresh beer in his hand.

“I’m sorry Sophie I don’t know what got into me,” he said as he held the beer out to her as a peace offering.

She eyed the bottle, weighed her options then accepted it. Better for her to have it as a weapon than him, she shivered.

She held the bottle close to her chest as she walked back to the living room. She eyed the spot on the floor where her boots and her bag lay just a couple of feet from the front door of the apartment and tried to figure out the best maneuver to get them back.

He sat back down on the couch and patted the spot next to him. She sat down in silence and waited for him to speak. She never took a sip from the beer bottle but still kept it gripped tightly in her left hand.

He took a deep breath and sighed loudly. “I had a really bad day at work. That contract with MCI fell through and Virgil said he’s gotta lay off a few guys from the crew,” he rubbed the back of his neck and stared at the floor as he talked.

“You know what they say, “Last one hired is the first one fired!” or some shit like that. If anyone’s head is on the chopping block it’s mine and I took it out on you. I’m sorry.”

He looked at her with such sincerity she almost fell for it… but she knew better. Seen her cousin Theresa go through the same shit for years letting her asshole husband keep coming back over and over again even after he put her in the hospital a few times.

Kept saying he loved her, was a changed man, blah blah blah. The first time he hit her was eerily similar to what was playing out in Alex’s apartment right then and there.

The first time it’s a slap. Then a shove, maybe a closed fist and then a couple of swift kicks until it would all just blend together.

The second time Theresa spent the night in the ER Sophie signed up for self defense classes at the fitness center in her neighbourhood the very next day. Studied karate and street fighting for several months so she felt relatively comfortable with her skill set.

In that moment, sitting with Alex and feeling the sting in her cheekbone turn into a throbbing pain the lessons she learned back then began to run through her mind like a film reel.

Throat, eyes, instep and groin were the best weak spots to target in order to create a diversion long enough to get away. Alex was still talking as she took a deep breath, stood and calmly walked over to the vestibule to slip her boots back on.

She never took her eyes off him as she did so; he stopped in mid-sentence and the mood again shifted dark in the room.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he growled as he stalked over to her with one hand raised in the air. Without a word her left fist, fingers still wrapped around the beer bottle, had slammed straight into his Adam’s apple. Knocked off his feet he landed hard on his ass next to the coffee table.

He stared at her wide-eyed, “What did you do that for?” he choked out as he gripped his throat and massaged it.

“Are you fucking kidding me?!” she said as she picked up her bag. She was halfway out the door when he was back on his feet and grabbing for her.

“Baby don’t leave like this! I said DON’T!” he growled as his fingers snaked around her left wrist.

“Get your goddamn hand off me!” She yanked her arm out of his grip, slammed the door shut in his face and took off toward the stairwell before he could catch his breath. She was down the three flights of stairs, out the front door and safely within the confines of the darkness before he could have even caught a glimpse of her.

\------------------------

Bucky watched as the bus doors hissed open and a lone figure descended the stairs. It was a woman, looked to be about his age…

 _HA!_ He thought to himself. _Try again._

She looked to be about twenty-five years old, long wavy dark hair, petite. She pulled her thin jacket tightly around her and hugged her purse to her chest. She scanned the streets wide-eyed as she waited for the traffic light to turn green. That’s when he noticed the bruise.

It was barely visible under the dim coverage of the street lamp but he saw it. A dark mark was forming under a red welt that stretched across her left cheek from her jaw line to her temple. He recognized an injury like that. Had inflicted a few during the war.

 _Which war?_ He heard whispered in his mind. He shook his head to push the thought away.

He watched as she crossed the street and headed toward a matchbox apartment building where she fumbled with a lobby key, swore under her breath and let out a sigh of relief when the key finally worked and she was able to quickly get inside. He could see her hands had been shaking.

He knew he should leave. Whatever was happening with her had nothing to do with him yet he stayed rooted to the spot. He watched to see if he could tell which apartment might be hers based on the lights in the windows. All the units on every floor of the northwest corner had pitch-black glass. He counted thirty seconds. Nothing. He was about to turn away when he saw a faint light in one window on the second floor that had not been there a moment earlier.

The window slid open a few inches to let fresh air into the room. He saw her profile in the glow. She was scanning the area and he immediately slipped back into the shadows; did she look frightened?

He continued to watch her for a few moments longer then began to back away again. He had to go. Had to keep moving. Stay ahead of the enemy.

Instead he stayed to watch the window until the first rays of dawn began to streak across the pavement. It was only when the sun fully broke over the eastern sky that he finally retreated.

\-----------------------

Sophie woke up to a splitting headache. She sat up in bed and gingerly touched the injured side of her face with her fingertips.

“God damn!” she swore as she moved her jaw from side to side to relieve some of the stiffness that had settled there overnight.

She forced herself up and walked over to the bathroom. Her reflection was not pretty. The redness had evolved into an ugly purple bruise that formed the perfect shape of a hand. A large hand. “Well that’s just fucking great...” she muttered.

She popped two painkillers and took a hot shower to try to relieve the tension in her muscles. Her upper back and shoulders were knotted up beyond belief. She rubbed where she could reach and let the showerhead jets get the rest.

Saturday morning meant no school and no work, which meant no prying eyes, for which Sophie was eternally grateful. Saturday night however, was going to be a different story. She had a shift at the bar and wasn’t sure she wanted to deal with Shay.

Her boss was awesome… most of the time. Shay had owned and operated Le Club Boite Noir since its heyday in the 80s and despite a lag in popularity in recent years was now enjoying a renaissance since hard rock and metal seemed to be making a comeback.

Shay was a mother hen and would not hesitate to grill Sophie for the details about her injury. Never married and never having had kids of her own, Shay often looked at her employees as her de facto family. When one was hurt she was quick to go into Mama Bear mode.

As much as Sophie knew she’d appreciate Shay’s protectiveness she was not in the mood to be in the hot seat. Shay would mean well but oftentimes her intensity could be a bit much.

She put on a pot of coffee then called Amanda, who answered on the fourth ring. After Sophie had picked up her slack the night before Amanda agreed to take her shift that night.

“This makes us even,” Amanda grumbled. Sophie agreed, thanked her and hung up. After making herself a large mug of coffee she sat down on her couch and tried not to think about Alex.

So, of course she did.

“How did I not see this coming?” she asked herself aloud. She picked at her nail polish as she thought back over the past several weeks trying to recognize any sign, any clue she might have missed that would have indicated he could turn violent.

Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

She sighed and went to refill her mug. She glanced out the kitchen window and saw it was going to be a very pretty day. Too bad she was not going to be able to enjoy it outdoors. There was no way she was going out in public with such a messed up face. It was bad enough she’d have no choice come Monday but until then it’d be a hermit’s life for her.

\------------------------

Darkness fell. Bucky had not been able to stop thinking about the woman from the previous night so, against his better judgment, he returned to her neighborhood and resumed position from the same vantage point he’d had before.

There was more activity in the streets so he did his best to appear casual, as if he had a perfectly good reason for hanging out there. Luckily no one approached him so he didn’t have to come up with a story on the fly.

He looked up at her windows and waited.

 _What are you waiting for? Christmas?_ The voice in his head mocked.

He knocked the side of his head with the heel of his right hand while keeping his left arm straight down, then looked back up to the second floor. He wasn’t sure why he was drawn to her yet here he stood once again.

He saw the lights were on in the room where there was a small balcony attached; her curtains were drawn halfway so he couldn’t see much. Suddenly he saw her in the kitchen window and his breath caught in his throat.

The bruise had darkened and was definitely in the shape of a man’s hand. Bucky's eyes narrowed into slits as he felt a familiar fury start to well up deep inside of him. Whoever she was, she didn’t deserve to be beaten.

Whoever it was that hit her was going to pay. He’d make sure of it.

\-----------------------

It was coming up on bedtime but Sophie was too wired to sleep. She rationalized that it was the pot of coffee she’d guzzled earlier that day that was keeping her awake but her heart knew different. This was fear.

 _Don’t be stupid!_ She chided herself. _You got out. You’re never going back. If he comes back around just stick to your guns and you’ll be fine. Don’t fall for any sweet talk crap._

She’d almost managed to convince herself that the mess with Alex was over when the phone rang and she practically leaped out of her own skin.

Her hand trembled as she reached for the receiver. _Damn it!_ she thought.

“Hey Sophie! It’s Shay. Amanda said you’re not feeling well. What’s going on?”

Sophie held her breath and counted to ten before exhaling quietly and responding, “I’m alright, just got a thing. Flu bug I think. Don’t worry it’s all good.”

Shay was perceptive. Too perceptive sometimes.

“Listen Sophie,” she started, “Alex was in here earlier. All moody and pitched a fit with Amanda.”

 _Oh shit!_ “Is she okay?!”

Shay paused then said “Of course she’s okay why wouldn’t she be? Sophie you’re not telling me the whole story. I can feel it. What’s going on? Is it Alex? Did he do something?”

She sighed, “Shay I appreciate you calling me. I promise I’m okay. But yeah, Alex and I are done. If he starts anything else just kick his ass out.”

Shay clicked her tongue against her teeth and asked quietly, “What did he do?”

Sophie didn’t answer. Shay repeated her question in a sterner tone.

“He hit me. Last night. Once! I left as soon as I could get out of his place.”

Shay swore for several moments before regaining her composure.

“That fucker! He shows his face in here again I’m gonna castrate him!”

“Shay please, you don’t have to do anything. I already handled it. He won’t be a problem.”

They talked for a few more minutes before ending the call but not before Shay convinced Sophie to let her come over in the morning to check on her. She thanked her and hung up the phone.

Suddenly Sophie didn’t feel so terrible. It felt good to know someone had her back.

\----------------------

Bucky spent the next several hours overnight standing stock still in the same shadow across from the woman’s apartment building, and was once again gone when the sun rose in the east.

He was glad for the distraction from the turmoil in his mind. Somehow, in focusing on this woman’s situation, he managed to quiet the storm inside him. Buoyed by this strange new sense of calm, he’d returned later that morning and was pleased to watch as she briefly came down to the lobby to let in a visitor. It was an older woman, looked to be in her mid-fifties, had long silver-blonde hair and was very fit. She wore black jeans, scuffed leather boots and a weathered army jacket over an Iron Maiden t-shirt.

Bucky liked her instantly.

He watched the two embrace and then disappear from view back into the apartment building. He shifted his gaze to her now familiar apartment windows to determine when they’d returned to safety of her home.

He looked up at the apartment building directly across from the woman’s; his mind began to work out the height difference, the angle from the roof and the odds of achieving a better vantage point from above. His mind made up, he began to recon the best way to get to the roof undetected.

It was frighteningly easy; the series of balconies were interlinked and the ground level had an access ladder that was easily pulled down. He quietly made his way up past the first, second and third floor apartments without attracting any attention from either within the building or beneath it from the outside.

 _Of course you wouldn’t,_ the voice whispered, _you wouldn’t have become such a master assassin if you were too loud on your feet!_

He ignored it and went to find the perfect perch from where he’d be able to sit comfortably yet still be able to watch the women from a safe distance. Once he settled in he scanned the windows and immediately saw them sitting at a kitchen table. They had coffee mugs in front of them.

They were having an animated conversation; the brunette was gesturing with her hands, made a fist and a punching motion toward the blonde’s throat as if to mimic what she’d done to defend herself. _Good girl!_ he thought, _she must have gotten a shot in against whoever hurt her._

He continued to watch as they went back and forth. Eventually the blonde got up, walked around the table and pulled the petite brunette into an awkward hug. Both laughed as they disengaged themselves.

They obviously had a relationship but not a very close one. Was she a relative? A coworker? Bucky had no way of knowing.

Suddenly the blonde was on her feet and gathering up her jacket and purse; she was heading out, which meant Bucky would have to get back to street level if he wanted to observe her departure from within a close proximity.

He leapt from the roof and quietly landed on the asphalt of the parking lot below. No challenge. He’d jumped from heights much larger than that many times over and onto rougher terrain, too. This was a jump he could have made in his sleep.

He inched over to the edge of the woman’s apartment building, peered around the corner and waited. He was rewarded five minutes later when the two emerged onto the stoop and he could hear the last bit of their conversation.

As they embraced he heard the brunette thank the blonde for her visit.

“Awww Sophie,” the blonde said as she drew back but still kept their arms interlocked, “You know I love you like you’re my own kid. I’ll always have your back, you know that right?”

They hugged again. “I know Shay. Thanks.”

The blonde, Shay, walked to the bottom of the steps then turned back. “If that bastard Alex shows up anywhere near you, you let me know, y’hear me? I have an aluminum baseball bat I’d love to introduce to his skull.”

Bucky was impressed. He liked Shay even more now.

“Absolutely,” Sophie (he grinned; _her name was Sophie_ ) smiled and called out.

The two waved and parted ways. Shay headed back toward the intersection and Sophie returned to the interior of her building.

Bucky raced back up to the perch he’d established on the opposite building’s roof and settled in to watch over Sophie for a while.

As he did so he began to formulate a plan on how to best track his newest target.

Alex. His name was Alex.

\----------------------

By 10pm Sunday night Sophie’s anxiety began to creep back in so she emailed her art teacher to say she’d be away from classes for the next couple of days. She claimed a family emergency and said she’d update him by Wednesday.

Briefly relieved, Sophie turned her attention to her other big problem. Work. She had the noon to 8pm shift on Mondays since she had only one morning class that day and didn’t want to let Shay down. She wasn’t looking forward to the stares and questions she knew she’d get from the customers (she knew Shay would’ve warned the others on staff to cut her a break from any prying so at least there was that) but there was one last wild card.

Alex.

Would he show up at Le Boite Noir? If he did what was she going to do?

She pushed all thoughts of her ex from her mind and focused on her deep breathing. She’d signed up for a meditation course at the community center not long after she’d taken up self-defense training. She liked how the combination of the two had instilled a sense of ease in both her mind and her body.

She sat cross-legged on her hardwood living room floor and inhaled a deep breath through her nose. She counted to ten and then slowly exhaled through her partially pursed lips. She remained that way for several minutes until her mind and body began to relax in tandem.

She enjoyed the silence but liked rock music more. She got up and went over to her stereo where she scrolled through her list of mp3 files before settling on _More Than a Feeling_ by Boston.

The opening riffs began and she stood there for a moment just letting the tune wash over her. Then, surprising herself, she began to sway to the music and then began to fully dance. It was an easy song to move to so she just let the melody take over.

She jumped like a rock star, stretched out her arms, played air guitar and easily pirouetted in her socks on the smooth hardwood. She laughed out loud at the level of silliness she’d managed to reach and then flung herself onto the couch in an exaggerated flourish once the song had ended.

She let the play list continue and Nazareth’s _Love Hurts_ began its haunting melody. She slid off the couch and crawled over to the bay window that opened up to the balcony just off her living room. She sat on the floor and hugged her knees to her chest as she listened to the music and looked up at the night sky.

\----------------------

Bucky was transfixed on the activity in front of him. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been watching her but was glad he’d stayed. Deep down he knew that walking away and never looking back was safer for both of them but there was just something about Sophie that drew him to her.

He watched as she practiced some meditation and was pleased to see her body language slip into a more relaxed state. He was then surprised to see her get up not long after reaching an apparent state of serenity and play a familiar sounding rock song. The juxtaposition was unusual, but then again nothing about this woman seemed basic.

He locked his eyes on her as she began to move to the music and felt a small thrill of excitement run through him as he watched her dance. He had to stifle a laugh at her outrageous rock star maneuvers and was mesmerized by her spins across the floor.

When the song ended and she'd settled back on the couch he began to wonder what it might be like to have a conversation with her.

 _Stop that!_ He scolded himself, eyes shut tight. _You’re no good for her and you know it. If you think this Alex character is a danger to her what does that make you, Soldier?_ He smacked the right side of his head with his human hand and forced his metal arm to remain locked straight down his left side.

He was so wrapped up his train of thought that he’d missed seeing her change positions. Now she was sitting on the floor by the window and was looking up at him!

Every instinct, every fiber of his being screamed at him to turn and run, to get away, to disappear.

He jumped immediately back further into the cover of shadows. Despite being on a darkened rooftop late at night he knew there might be a slim chance she’d seen him. The question remained: did she actually catch a good look at him or did he successfully evade her line of sight?

He was desperate to know so he took the risk of looking back over at her. With painfully deliberate steps he slowly returned to his original perch and peeked over the edge of the rooftop.

She sat there on the floor, her calm face bathed in a wash of moonlight. She was beautiful and serene even though the dark bruise was still fresh… ( _that fucking bastard Alex_ ).

When he realized she hadn’t seen him he let out the deep breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

That was close. That was weak.

The Winter Soldier wasn’t supposed to be weak.

But he wasn’t the Winter Soldier anymore. Hadn’t been since that horrific day in Washington months ago when his tether to Hydra had been severed with the help from the man on the bridge ( _Steve… Rogers… he said he was my friend…_ ).

He wasn’t a soldier anymore but he wasn’t a normal, regular man either. So what did that make him now? He was sad that he didn’t know the answer.

He watched as she swayed to the haunting melody of the second song and he longed to put his arms around her.

 _No!_ he shouted inside at himself. _She’s better off if she didn’t know you…_

The truth of it hit him like a brick wall.

He couldn’t reach out to her. Not ever. If he did so, it would mean a death sentence for her. By Hydra’s hands… or his own.

Resolved, he moved off and jumped to the asphalt parking lot three stories down, then retreated. If he couldn’t touch her he’d do the next best thing. He’d make sure Alex never touched her again.

Then he stopped himself in mid-stride. He only had a first name. No address. No photo or even a physical description. He had no starting point from which to begin the hunt.

Back at Hydra he’d always been briefed on mission parameters and supplied all the necessary gear and weapons in order to make land, get the job done and get back to the extraction point before anyone even noticed his target had been eliminated.

This time he had nothing to go on. Frustrated, he looked back up at Sophie’s window and weighed his options, then decided the best course of action was to keep an eye on her from a discreet distance. That way if that bastard Alex showed up he could get a good look at the guy, tail him, and then put him in the ground the first chance he got.

\---------------------

Monday morning came all too quickly and Sophie stood before the front door to Le Boite Noir. It was 11:45am and she’d done her best to cover up the bruise on her face with makeup. She’d hoped that the dim light inside the club would contribute to the façade of normalcy she was desperate to convey.

Luckily for her their regular customers would only start to come in around 4pm so she still had a chunk of time before the onslaught of questions from the curious and the concerned would begin.

She made her way over to the staff lounge that stood adjacent to Shay’s office and stowed her stuff in her locker. The lone waitress for the noon-to-four block was also there, her name was Basira and she was originally from New Zealand. Her dad was Maori and her mom was French-Canadian; now twenty years old Basira and her family had moved to Montreal when she was eight and her little sister five.

“Whoa!” Basira chirped when she saw Sophie, who groaned in response.

“Oh God is it that obvious?” she said as she stole over to the full-length mirror that lined the back wall to examine her reflection.

“Well,” Basira said, “Once folks get to drinking I’m sure their vision will get fuzzy enough that they won’t be able to tell the difference!” She giggled and Sophie swatted her arm.

“Ugh I did my best with the make-up I had at home but at this point I think the stuff they use on Broadway would do a better job!” She pulled out her compact and patted some additional powder on her cheekbone.

“Aww no, it’s not so bad,” Basira said as she put a comforting hand on Sophie's shoulder. 

“There’s my girl!” Shay yelled as she came over to pull Sophie in a big hug. “How are you doing sweetheart?” she asked as she examined the younger woman’s face.

“I’m getting better. Has he been around again this weekend?” She didn’t have to specify whom she was talking about. Shay’s expression darkened.

"No and he’s lucky he hasn’t! I been ready to break his nose the first chance I get.”

Sophie was startled yet comforted by the level of Shay’s outrage.

“Hey Shay, if you don’t mind I’d like to lay low for a while and maybe catch up on inventory tonight. I’m not in the mood for too much customer interaction this shift. I’ll work out front ‘til 4 then head in the back after my dinner break and work there ‘til 8. What do you say?”

Shay nodded and waved a hand in the air as she walked back over to her office.

“Whatever you need sweetheart, I’ll mix drinks for a bit myself tonight. It’d be nice to exercise my bartending muscles for a spell. It’s been too long!”

Sophie was grateful. She and Basira headed out to the main floor to get to work setting up the bar and wiping down tables in preparation for the coming crowd.

\----------------------

It was close to 8 o’clock and Sophie was exhausted. She’d completed the inventory process by 6:30 and had spent the rest of her time restocking the shelves in the back room. She knew it wasn’t technically her job, it was a task that usually belonged to the busboy Henri, but she needed a reason to stay away from the main floor of the club and it was her best bet.

A few minutes after eight she texted Shay to let her know that she was done and was heading out through the service entrance that connected the stockroom to the back alley. She slipped out the door and made sure it had locked behind her before making her way back to the main street.

She’d walked about half a dozen blocks before turning onto a narrow alley that ran along the side street that was closest to the metro station she was headed toward. It was quiet. The twilight hour has descended and the alley was swallowed by the dark shadows that fell across it from the buildings on either side.

She shivered and pulled her jacket tightly around her. She was halfway to the brightly lit main street when she heard a pair of footsteps behind her.

Was it Alex?!

She whirled around and saw a man she didn’t recognize. He appeared to ignore her and she relaxed a bit. Then she froze again. More steps. This time they were coming from the opposite direction. She looked over her shoulder and saw another stranger.

Her gut was telling her this was no coincidence. She pressed herself flat against alley wall and waited to see what they would do.

The men didn’t look at her. Not at first. They greeted each other with a fist bump and exchanged pleasantries. The taller one lit a cigarette and finally looked over in her direction. She’d been casually trying to slide past them while they conversed but it didn’t work. They both trained their eyes on her.

“Hey pretty lady where you off to this fine evening?” he called out to her after he took a long drag off his cigarette. The shorter one looked at her with an unfriendly grin.

“I’m off to meet my boyfriend,” she said as she attempted to get around them.

“Oh you’re back with Alex? He never said anything about that,” the shorter one drawled.

She froze. They knew Alex.

She’d been set up.

Her mind raced as she tried to gauge which offense would be the best defense.

Without warning she punched the shorter one square in the jaw and then kicked the other in the crotch. Both men stumbled, swore and then chased after her as she bolted for freedom.

They caught up to her a half dozen feet from the main street. Each grabbed one arm and dragged her back to the middle of the narrow alley. The taller one clapped a hand over her mouth to cut off her screams.

She wasn’t going to give up without a fight. She struggled free and landed an uppercut on the shorter one and roundhouse kicked the taller one in the ribcage.

“Fuck! Alex didn’t say shit about her being some kind of trained fighter!” the short one said as he rubbed his bruised chin. He lunged forward and she deflected his momentum into a combination hip roll and arm bar. She dropped him to the ground and forcefully straightened out his arm to the point where his elbow began to give… in the wrong direction.

“Ow! Ow! Stop! Let me go you bitch!” he screamed as she applied more pressure to his locked arm.

She released him only when the taller man looked as though he was ready to come at her. She stepped away from both men and began to back way toward the end of the alley. She kept them both within sight as she tried to escape. The one whose arm she didn’t just almost break pulled a blade out of his back pocket and charged.

She knocked the knife out of his hand and, again using her opponent’s own momentum against him, hurled him head first into the brick wall behind her. He slammed against it hard and crumpled to the ground. He moaned in pain as he wrapped his arms around his head and curled into the fetal position.

Both men were down. Satisfied, she turned her back and started toward the direction of the metro station again.

That’s when she heard the distinctive click of a gun being cocked. She whirled around and was stunned to see Alex standing about ten feet away from her. He looked pained and confused. She took a few steps back from him as he dropped the gun he’d held on her and stumbled forward with his arm outstretched.

Then she saw it. A knife protruded from his chest just below his clavicle. Blood poured from the wound as he stared at her wide-eyed.

It felt like time stopped. As much as she hated Alex she couldn’t let him die. She fumbled for her cell phone and punched in 9-1-1. She was about to hit Send when just then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw yet another man in the alley. He was tall, maybe six feet or so and had long dark hair that fell over his unshaven face. He wore a beat up Army jacket over black cargo pants and a black shirt. Army boots and a dark blue baseball cap completed his ensemble.

She stared at him open-mouthed. Who was he? How did he end up here in this alley at the exact moment she didn’t realize she needed help until it was almost too late?

She snapped out of her trance when she heard Alex weakly call out her name. She looked down at him and then quickly resumed her phone call. Soon the police and paramedics would be there. As she spoke with the operator she looked back to where the fourth man had stood but he was gone.

\----------------------

Bucky had tracked Sophie to her workplace and slipped into the club along with the rest of the “cinq à sept” crowd. He scanned the vicinity but didn’t see her. Undaunted, he made his way to the main bar where he stood off to the side and pretended as though he was waiting for someone.

He caught a few curious glances but no one approached him. He was thankful that the setting he was in was a heavy metal bar so he was able to fit right in with the outfit he wore. There was nothing worse than sticking out like a sore thumb when he wanted to be invisible.

He listened in on the conversation that took place between the two women behind the bar. He recognized Shay but the younger one was new to him. He overheard her name was Basira. They talked about Sophie needing to be away from the crowd so she’d volunteered to work in the back for a while and damn that bastard Alex.

It was all he needed to hear. He silently made his way over to the main entryway and was off to scout the location of the club’s back door. He found it and settled in at a safe distance so as not to draw the attention of anyone who happened by. His gamble paid off when, almost two full hours later, he finally saw her emerge from the club’s service entrance.

His breath caught in his throat as he drank in the sight of her. Her injury looked better but part if him knew it was the powder she’d obviously used to cover up the bruise. She studied the area around her and he shrank back around the corner away from her field of vision. Satisfied all was well, she turned on her heel and started walking in the opposite direction from where he stood.

He fell in step with her, just one block behind, and tracked her movements easily. He watched as she turned a corner into an alley. Just as he reached it he saw the beginning of her confrontation with two men. He was about to charge forward when he stopped in his tracks and watched her defend herself with relative ease.

He was deeply impressed with her calm demeanour and her use of her opponents’ apparent strengths against them. Despite being much smaller than them she’d managed to put both men on the ground while barely breaking a sweat.

Then Bucky saw him. It had to be Alex. He was watching the fight from the opposite end of the alley and looked extremely pissed off. Bucky was amused until he saw the glint of metal in the other man’s raised hand. It looked like a Glock.

Without even thinking about it Bucky reached into his jacket and pulled out his Black Label Backlash dagger and whipped it at his target.

It connected exactly where he’d aimed. The man dropped his weapon and stumbled toward Sophie with the knife embedded in his chest. She moved beyond his reach and pulled a phone from her purse.

Then it happened. She turned around and saw him.

He was stunned. Couldn’t move. They watched each other for several seconds until she’d been distracted by the idiot bleeding on the ground in front of her. The moment she took her eyes off him Bucky turned and disappeared.

He got to the end of the alley, cleared the sharp corner then stopped in his tracks. He couldn’t leave her.

His brain screamed at him to run, run far and fast and never look back.

His heart said _wait!_

He breathed hard, his vision lost focus for a moment. He slapped himself in the face and tried to shake the conflicting thoughts out of his head.

He turned around and risked a peek back inside the alley. She was on her phone yet still kept her distance from Alex. She strained to look as far up the alley in his direction as possible but he could tell she couldn’t see him.

Relieved, he maintained his position until the last possible moment. Then sirens grew louder in the distance and he knew his time there was over.

\----------------------

Sophie was finally able to walk through her front door just after 3am. She’d spent the last several hours in the company of the police first at the hospital where some paramedics took her as a precaution and then again at the station where she'd formally given her statement. She described being attacked by the three men and defending herself against the first two. When questioned about the knife in Alex’s chest she answered honestly: she never saw where it came from.

Instinct told her to keep her mouth shut about the man in the Army jacket.

She was dreading seeing Shay and Basira at the start of her next shift. If they were freaked out by what happened on Friday who knew what they’d be like after this latest incident.

She did, however feel safer knowing that Alex and his buddies were behind bars. The paramedics had stabilized Alex shortly before he was arrested and the cops had picked up the other two where she’d left them on the ground. When she'd told them what she’d done in self-defense she could see the respect in their eyes. The younger one even smiled and quickly flashed her a thumbs up gesture when his older partner wasn’t looking. She grinned back.

Now that she was home behind a double-locked door she allowed her thoughts to travel back to the moments just before she called 9-1-1.

It was only a few seconds but his image was burned into her mind. He had an intense, almost feral look, but she sensed he was not a danger to her. He had even looked startled when they made eye contact.

She wished she knew who he was or where to find him. She wanted to thank him for saving her life.

She walked over to her living room window and drew the curtains back. She’d left her lights off so that she could sit in the darkness. She curled up in her favourite spot on the floor by the balcony, pulled her knees to her chest and cried.

All the stress that had built up inside her over the past several days finally broke through and overwhelmed her. She buried her face in her hands and shook as sobs wracked her body. She sat there for such a long time that she had no idea what time it was when she finally looked up again.

For a second she could have sworn she saw the glint of something metallic on the roof of the building next door. She wiped her eyes with her sleeves and looked back up but it was gone.

She got up, walked back over to her bathroom and went to take a very long, very hot soak in the tub. She couldn’t wait to put the day behind her.

\----------------------

He waited hours for her to return to her apartment. He was tempted to go back to try to find her but he knew it would have been too great a risk. He watched as she’d been escorted into an ambulance and driven away. He wanted so much to follow the emergency vehicle but resisted. Instead, he made his way back to her neighborhood and hunkered down to wait for her to come back.

He was used to sitting and waiting for extended periods of time. It harkened back to his days as an assassin when he’d been required to wait out a target. He knew the right way to crouch so that his muscles wouldn’t cramp or his limbs tire.

This time there was even the bonus of not having to rest a weapon in his hands with his finger hovering just above the trigger as he waited for the exact moment to take the perfect shot. The kill shot. Eliminate the target. Walk away…

Near 3am he saw movement in her living room window and watched as she drew back the curtains. She looked tired. Bone weary. It was dark in the apartment but he was able to make out her face in the waning moonlight.

She slumped to the floor and held herself for a long time. Then she began to cry. She sobbed for over an hour straight.

The longer he watched her the deeper he wished he could hold her. He wanted nothing more than to wipe the tears from her face, cup her chin in his hand and bring her lips to his own.

 _Which hand?_ The voice in his head snickered, _the human one or the metal one?_

He began to get agitated. He flexed his arms and clenched his hands into fists. He needed to regain control of his emotions. Getting attached to a stranger was never part of his plan. This had gone too far.

In anger he ripped his jacket off and threw it at his feet. He felt like he was being strangled in his own clothing. He grabbed the edge of the rooftop and gripped it tightly, shut his eyes and grimaced. Every muscle in his body went rigid.

When he finally opened his eyes again he saw that she had stopped crying and was looking up in the general direction of where he stood on the roof. He cursed under his breath and stepped back quickly before she could catch sight of him.

This was wrong, all wrong. He kept making stupid mistakes, kept getting distracted. His mind kept returning to her over and over again.

He needed to regain control. He needed to put distance between them.

This had to end.

\----------------------


	2. One Step Closer Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Separate paths merge as Bucky and Sophie are drawn closer together.

Sophie was so relaxed in the tub that she fell asleep. She awoke a short time later to chilly water and wrinkled fingertips and toes. She sighed, pulled herself up and out then began to towel off.

She drained the tub and walked back to her bedroom wearing only her robe. She didn’t notice that her curtain was slightly open. Even if she did she wouldn’t have cared she was so exhausted.

She combed out her hair and tied it back in a loose braid that hung down the middle of her back then pulled on her favorite flannel pyjamas. She turned off her bedside lamp and pulled the covers up to her chin.

Something was off. Nothing bad… just different. She could feel it in her bones.

Instead of fear she felt reassured like something, or someone, was standing guard over her.

She turned onto her side and gazed out the window. As she dozed off she could have sworn she saw a dark angel in the sky.

\----------

Several days had passed and Sophie’s routine was finally getting back to normal. Her face was healing nicely and she was back both at work at night and at art school during the day.

Her latest painting was based on a dream she’d had the night Alex had been arrested. She’d fallen asleep and saw the man in the Army jacket again. He was standing over her, his face a mixture of adoration and confusion. He was at a distance from her but he still felt close. She saw that he had large black wings, one normal arm and a silver arm with a red star on the shoulder. His long dark hair had been pushed back from his face and he had the most beautiful blue eyes she’d ever seen.

She woke that morning at dawn. Inspired, she grabbed a fresh canvas, the largest she had on hand, ripped open her collection of acrylics and began to paint her vision before it faded from her mind’s eye. She later realized she’d been hard at work on the piece for six solid hours without taking a break to eat, drink or even use the bathroom.

She stepped back and stared in awe. The image took her breath away. He stood tall, his left hip thrust forward at a slight angle, his arms hung loose at his sides; his black wings, tipped in dark gray, spread gracefully out far and wide behind him. The full moon hung in the starry sky above him. The moonlight glinted off his long dark hair as well as his sparkling eyes and his one metal arm.

He wore black from top to bottom. His chest and waist formed a V-shape and his arms and legs were perfectly muscular. His expression was breathtaking. His eyes were haunted and he looked like he needed a place to rest his weary bones yet he still looked like the strongest man in the world.

\----------

“You have to let me see it!” Erin yelped after Sophie had described the painting to her classmate. It was a week after she’d finished it.

“I don’t know… I’m not sure I want to put it out there...” Sophie gestured with both arms wide open and nodded toward the public space around them. They were sitting on a bench outside of their school’s gallery during their lunch break from classes.

“Soph there’s something you’re not telling me,” Erin said as she eyeballed her. “Come on give it up!”

Sophie picked at her chipped nail polish as she contemplated her reply. What could she say? That she had based the painting on the man that had quite possibly saved her life by putting a dagger in the chest of her ex-boyfriend? She shrugged and remained tight-lipped.

Erin wouldn’t completely give up. “Fine,” she huffed, “maybe keep it to yourself at home but at least let me come by your place to see it before you put it in storage!”

Sophie smiled and gave her a small nod. Erin squealed.

 _Please God don’t let me regret this…_ she thought.

Later that evening they sat on Sophie’s couch drinking wine and talking about the upcoming showcase at the gallery that was going to feature signature pieces from that semester’s crop of students.

“I’m not sure if I want to submit my landscape at dusk or my family of fennec foxes,” Erin was saying as she refilled her glass. “What do you think?”

Sophie was distracted and didn’t respond at first.

“Helloooooo? Earth to Sophie?” Erin chirped as she waved a hand in front of her friend’s face. She snapped back to attention and stared at her friend.

“Wow where were you just now?”, Erin implored.

Sophie wouldn’t admit that she was thinking back to the moment in the alley when she’d turned and saw the man in the Army jacket. There was something in his eyes that intrigued her. She longed to look into them again.

“Hmmm? Oh nowhere…” she offered weakly.

“Alright enough stalling!” Erin pouted. “Let me see the painting.” She pointed toward Sophie’s bedroom door.

With a heavy sigh Sophie got up and went over to where she kept her easel near her bedroom closet and brought the canvas back to the living room. She wasn’t sure why she felt so uncomfortable. She never had a problem showing her work before and didn’t know why it was different now.

Was she betraying the man’s confidence somehow? She wished she’d kept quiet about the piece when Erin had asked about her latest project but she had felt so passionate about it that her words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

“Okay before I show it to you promise me you’ll be honest with what you think, okay?” Sophie begged.

Erin just groaned and then let out an exasperated sigh. “Of course now give it up woman!”

Sophie shut her eyes and took a deep breath as she turned the canvas around so Erin could see.

Silence.

She risked opening one eye to sneak a peek at her friend. “So? What do you think?”

Several moments passed before Erin was able to formulate a coherent sentence.

“Oh my GOD!” she exclaimed, “He’s GORGEOUS!”

Sophie couldn’t help the broad smile that had burst forth. “You like it?”

“Like it? I LOVE IT! Wow this is the most beautiful work you’ve ever done.”

Sophie beamed at her friend, “Aw thanks! That’s sweet of you to say.”

Erin let out a low whistle, “Honey I just call ‘em as I see ‘em. This is truly a work of art… and I’m not just talking about the painting.” She cocked one eyebrow and stared at Sophie.

Okay you have to tell me who this guy is!” she demanded.

Sophie froze. “W-what do you mean? I told you it was based on a dream. There’s no guy…” she refused to meet Erin’s gaze as she reached out for her wine glass and took a big swig of the delicious White Zinfandel.

Thankfully her friend dropped her interrogation and switched tactics. “Okay if you say so…” and took a sip of her own wine with a smirk on her face.

Sophie rolled her eyes as she got up from the couch to return to the bedroom and place the canvas back on the easel. She knew Erin had temporarily put a pin in the topic but was not going to let her completely off the hook; at some point she’d grill her again. Sophie wasn’t looking forward to it.

She wanted to keep him, whoever he was, to herself as long as possible.

\----------

Several days had passed since Bucky had left Montreal and passed over the border from Quebec into Ontario. He’d set himself up in an abandoned tenement building in the outskirts of Toronto and was contemplating his next move.

At least that’s what he tried to tell himself. In reality he was thinking of going back to Montreal to see Sophie.

He knew it was wrong on so many levels but there was just something about her, he couldn’t put his finger on it but there was a subtle element to her that drew him like a moth to a flame.

 _Careful,_ the voice said, _fly too close and you’ll burn…_

He ignored the voice but it persisted.

_What do you think’ll happen? That she’ll fall into your arms? Think you’re her knight in shining armor? You murdered her boyfriend!_

He shook his head violently. “Her EX-boyfriend that beat her!” he hissed under his breath. The voice retreated.

He shut his eyes, breathed deeply and tightly gripped the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger in an attempt to calm himself. He sat in a crouch in the corner farthest from the windows and avoided looking outside. He listened to the street traffic below. Life was going on just a few stories down.

Normal life for normal people: going to work, going to school, meeting up with friends and going home to families.

He wasn’t normal. Hadn’t been since 1944. There was nothing normal about what or who he was, where he came from and what he’d done for over seventy years while he was a slave to Hydra.

What could he say to Sophie? What could he possibly tell her about himself that wouldn’t scare her away? What could he offer her? Nothing but misery.

He leaned forward and rested his head in his hands. _But still…_ he thought… _I want to see her. I need to see her._

Against his better judgment he made his final decision.

He was going back to Montreal.

\----------

The very next night he was back at his old rooftop perch opposite her apartment building. It was close to midnight and he could tell she was not at home. He surmised that she was probably still at work.

He convinced himself that checking out her place would be a good idea in terms of making sure it was secure. It was for her protection, he rationalized.

 _Keep telling yourself that,_ the voice whispered. He swatted it away.

He backed away from the edge of the rooftop then took a running leap over to her building’s rooftop. He landed with a soft thud and froze, waiting to see if he’s caught anyone’s attention. Silence.

Satisfied, he climbed down to her balcony, jimmied the door open and slipped inside.

He surveyed the living room first. It was smaller that he’d imagined but still roomy. His eyes skipped over to the collection of framed photographs that sat on the mantle of a faux fireplace across from her couch. He saw smiling faces side by side with hers, arms around each other’s shoulders, bear hugs with others… and felt a pang of envy.

He wanted to be someone she could put her arms around.

Jolted by the thought, he stepped back and made his way down the short hallway. He cast quick glances into her kitchen and bathroom to make sure they were empty of potential threats before slowly approaching her bedroom.

He pushed the door open gently and peeked inside. The lights were off and he could see the blinds and curtains were shut tight. He knew it was a risky move but he did it anyway: he turned the lights on.

He scanned the room and at first saw nothing out of the ordinary. A bed covered in blankets and pillows, two end tables, a bureau littered with art supplies, sketchbooks and notepapers.

He wanted to make sure the closet was secure so he turned toward it and froze in his tracks.

He saw himself!

Stunned, he stumbled back a step. He peered at the canvas sitting on the easel by the door and was amazed. She’d drawn him, painted him, like an… angel.

He stood there in awe for several moments. Then the truth hit him so hard in the gut that he couldn’t breathe. She’d seen him! Not just in the alley but on the rooftop as well.

How else could she have known how to paint his metal arm with such vivid detail? She even had the red star placed perfectly on his shoulder.

He stared at the painting and drank it all in: the wings, the half-turned stance, arms at his sides, his long dark hair pushed back, the clarity of his eyes and the haunted expression on his face…

He turned away as a rush of emotions threatened to overtake him. He bolted out of the room and down the hall and stumbled toward the exit when he heard the distinct sound of a front door key turning in a lock.

She was home.

\----------

Another long shift at the club finally over, Sophie was happy to be alone again. She wanted nothing more than to be able to kick off her boots, drop onto her couch with a beer in hand and see what was collecting dust on her DVR.

She hung her jacket and purse on the doorknob and turned toward the living room where she saw that the sliding door to her balcony was halfway open.

She stopped. Oh God was Alex hiding in her apartment?! She thought he was still in jail…

She stayed frozen where she stood then heard the sound of hesitant steps coming from the hallway. There was definitely someone there.

Her voice left her. Terrified, she turned to face the person who’d broken into her home. Her sanctuary.

Instinct took over and she assumed a self-defense stance. Whoever it was that was coming at her, well… she wasn’t going to go down without a fight.

She reached back behind her and flipped the light switch into the on position.

There in front of her stood the man in her dream.

The man in her painting.

The man from the alley.

\----------

He stepped out from the hallway and into the living room. They locked eyes on each other yet said nothing. A minute ticked past before she got up the nerve to speak.

“Who… who are you?” she asked softly. There was no anger in her voice, no fear.

He stared at her wide-eyed.

She took a step away from him then slowly made her way over to the couch, keeping him in her field of vision the whole time. She saw he wore much the same outfit as that night in the alley, only this time he’d added thin leather gloves.

This should have alarmed her but for some reason did not. She sat down and gestured to the armchair that sat near the couch, indicating an invitation to sit.

He looked torn between a desire to flee and a desire to stay. He reminded her of a skittish deer. Another minute passed before he moved toward the chair and sat down warily.

She sat perched on the edge of the couch, her hands folded in her lap. He mirrored her body language but kept his hands flat on his thighs.

Then she did something that completely stunned Bucky.

She smiled at him.

“Let me start over,” she said gently. “Hi, I’m Sophie; and you are…?”

He sat completely still for an eternity then responded quietly, “My name is Bucky”.

“It’s nice to meet you Bucky.”

Her smile was radiant. Genuine.

He allowed himself to relax slightly but was still caught between his two natural instincts of fight or flight.

She let out a deep breath and settled back comfortably on the couch. He followed her lead and sat back into the armchair.

Silence hung between them. She seemed to be in no hurry to ask him any questions and he didn’t seem to know what to say.

“Would you like something to drink?” she offered, standing up suddenly.

He immediately sprang to his feet to face her.

Her breath caught in her throat as they stared at each other. She wasn’t frightened as his eyes traveled over her face as if he was searching for something. She smiled at him again and he took a step back.

“Well, I’m going to have a beer,” she announced as she turned her back to him and walked into the kitchen, “If you want one just say the word,” and disappeared through the entryway to the next room.

She opened the fridge door, grabbed two bottles of Heineken and straightened back up again as she let the door swing closed in front of her. As she had suspected, he’d followed her and stood just outside the doorway. He watched as she opened both bottles, slowly walked back over to where he stood and extended one toward him as she took a sip from the other.

He accepted the drink and stepped aside to let her pass. As she walked near him she could have sworn he leaned forward like he wanted to reach out a hand to touch her but resisted the urge.

She resumed her spot on the couch only this time kicked off her boots and pulled her legs up underneath her. She looked over at him and said, “You can come sit over here,” she pointed to the other end of the couch, “I won’t bite,” and laughed softly at her own joke.

Bottle in hand he made his way over to the spot she’d indicated. He stared at the floor as he sat down. As he did so his long hair fell over his face at the same time.

She took a sip then set her bottle down on the coffee table in front of them. He again followed her lead, putting his full beer down on the other end of the table.

“So,” she said softly, “what do we do now?”

\----------

He looked up at her in surprise. He couldn’t believe what was happening. Not only was he inside her apartment but she was also sitting there with him, talking to him, offering him her hospitality.

Where was her shock? Her fear? Her hate? Usually when he was in such close quarters with someone only one of them left the premises alive… and yet…

The way she looked at him, the way her whole face lit up when she smiled… it made the seemingly permanent icy feeling inside him melt away just a little bit.

She wasn’t afraid. She actually seemed to be happy he was there. Was he dreaming? How could this be real?

_So what do we do now?_

There were so many things he wanted to say but had no idea where to begin.

He studied his gloved hands. “The man from the alley,” he said quietly, “what happened to him after I left?”

He saw her draw in a sharp breath and regretted opening his mouth. Why did he have to start with that? Why couldn’t he just tell her how beautiful he thought she was? How kind she was for not screaming her head off and calling the cops on him for breaking into her apartment?

Finally she spoke, “He’ll live,” she said, “and will be in jail for a long time I hope,” and offered him a half smile.

“You saved me,” she continued, “…I never saw him. I never saw the gun. He would have shot me in the back if you hadn’t…” and stopped suddenly.

He stared at a spot on the floor. “If I hadn’t buried a dagger in his chest,” he whispered, ashamed.

She leaned forward and gently placed a hand on his knee. “If you hadn’t stopped him,” she whispered back.

He looked up at her suddenly. She kept her hand on his knee and smiled again.

“Thank you for saving my life,” she breathed.

He tentatively reached a gloved hand out and placed it near hers.

He breathed deeply. “You’re welcome,” and offered a small smile of his own.

They sat like that for a few moments longer. “So tell me,” he said, “Where did you learn to fight off two guys like that?”

“Ahhh…” she said as she pulled her hand away and settled back into her spot on the couch, “You saw that huh?”

He nodded; disappointed that she no longer touched him.

“Well,” she began, “a couple of years ago a cousin of mine got tangled up in a messy relationship. Her husband beat the crap out of her.” He heard the sad resignation in her voice.

She stopped and took a breath to compose herself, “I swore that that would never happen to me so I signed up for some self-defense classes and voila!” she made a grand gesture of sweeping her arm out in front of her.

“Well, the way you handled yourself in the alley was impressive. You had a good instructor,” he nodded appreciatively.

“Thanks,” she said, and took another sip of her beer.

They were quiet again. He could tell she wanted to ask him something difficult but didn’t know how to start.

After several moments passed she said, “Look I gotta be straight with you. This is weird, you showing up like this; you have to know that, right?”

He swallowed hard, nodded but didn’t say anything.

“Where did you come from?” she asked, “How did you end up in the alley that night?”

“Why are you in my apartment tonight?”

There was no anger in her voice, no ugliness or hatred. She just asked honest questions.

He owed her honest answers. “I saw you. The first night you came home with the injury to your face. I was,” he paused to watch her reaction, “across the street from you at the intersection where you got off the bus.”

She sat quietly but nodded for him to continue.

“At first I was just going to move on but then I saw… your eyes were wide, your body language distressed… I saw the mark here,” he reached up to graze the gloved fingertips of his right hand against her cheekbone.

She flinched slightly and he immediately pulled his hand back.

“I’m sorry!” he said quickly.

He bolted to his feet and made for the door, “This was a bad idea. I should go,” he reached for the doorknob.

No wait!” she called out as she jumped up from the couch. He stopped and slowly turned back to face her.

“It’s not you,” she said, “please, come back,” as she held her hand out.  
Wordlessly he made his way back to his seat.

“It’s not you,” she repeated, gesturing to her face to mimic his attempted touch. “It’s anyone who comes too close. My friends, my boss… it’s a reflex.”

“Alex really did a number on me. Not just physically.” She slumped back into her seat and picked at the label on her beer bottle.

He finally understood. He knew what it was like to deal with scars of the mind after something violent happened. What had he heard it called recently? Post Traumatic Stress disorder.

Yes. That was it. He knew it all too well. They didn’t really have a name for it back in the ‘40s. Shell-shocked was closest. He knew of guys that swallowed the stress by putting it back out into the job in the field. That or they ate a bullet.

They sat there together for a while then she spoke again. “Alex didn’t start out bad,” she said quietly, “he was such a nice guy at first. Did all the right things. Said all the right things.

It was good for two months. Then that night…” her voice trailed off. He waited for her continue, didn’t want to rush her.

“That night it was like he flipped a switch… he became a different person. Someone I definitely didn’t recognize because there was never any hint of a dark side to him before that.”

He flinched inwardly. _If she only knew what a true dark side was…_

“I managed to get away from him and made my way back home. Honestly, I don’t remember much about the trek back here. It’s like I was on autopilot, you know?”

He nodded quickly.

“So you were outside,” she said as she pointed out the window in the direction of the street below, bringing the conversation back around again, “then what?”

It was his turn to speak. “I… I watched you come back to this building and… I don’t know… there was something that made me stay.”

He looked her in the eye then quickly looked down again. “…Something about you.” He paused to give her a chance to digest what he was saying.

She watched him carefully, her expression neutral.

“I know it was wrong to watch you. I’m sorry. It must sound terrible. Creepy even… but… I felt compelled to stay close. Keep you safe and... protect you. So I… I stuck around. I wanted to make sure you were okay before…” his voice trailed off.

“Before what?” she asked.

“Before I moved on,” he responded. “I don’t usually stay in one place too long,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.

“I see,” she said as she returned her bottle to the coffee table then sat back and looked over at him.

“There were many days that passed between the night Alex first hit me and the ambush in the alley,” she stated calmly.

He stiffened but said nothing.

“You were watching me the whole time.”

He nodded and braced himself for whatever would come next.

She didn’t get angry. She didn’t yell for help or scream for him to get out. She just sat there quietly.

She took a deep breath and said, “Look I know this is going to sound crazy. I know my friends would think me crazy but I don’t care…” she stared down at her fingernails as she spoke.

“It’s okay that you were watching over me,” she continued.

“I know that some people would call what you did stalking but… talking with you now… I know that there was no malicious intent. At least not from you. Alex on the other hand…”

“What he did?” she went on, “That was the real crazy. What you did?” she nodded in his direction, “You were just trying to help,” she looked him in the eye and smiled.

“So thank you Bucky. I’m really glad that you stuck around.”

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. She was grateful. Happy even.

“Me too…” he whispered and returned her smile.

She looked up at the clock and seemed stunned. “Oh wow it’s almost 3am! I have an early class tomorrow…” she jumped up from the couch.

He was crushed. She needed him to leave. This was over. He got up and went to the front door.

“Hey listen,” she called out, “where are you staying? Maybe we could… I don’t know… get a cup of coffee sometime?” she squirmed as if embarrassed.

He turned back to her, “I’m not… I mean I don’t have a…” then stopped.

“Wait, you don’t have a place to stay?” she asked. He nodded his assent.

She was quiet for a long time then seemed to make a decision. “Look, I can’t let you go out there knowing you’ll just end up on a park bench somewhere,” she walked up to where he stood and faced him.

“Stay here,” she whispered.

He was too shocked to speak.

“The couch isn’t too terrible. It has to be better than a rooftop,” she stopped suddenly, her face reddened.

Of course she knew about the rooftop. The painting said as much.

“Oh no!” He exclaimed, “I can’t. It’s not necessary! Really. The rooftop is fine,” he protested.

She put her hand on the door as if to block it. “I insist,” she said, “It’s the least I can do to repay you for saving my life.”

She peered up at him with big brown eyes. He didn’t want to leave and she was asking him to stay.

“Okay,” he breathed.

“Good!” She beamed at him then moved off down the hall and quickly returned with a pillow and a blanket she’d retrieved from the hall closet.

Gesturing to the couch, she took her leave, saying, “See you in the morning,” then disappeared into her bedroom leaving him standing there stunned.

\----------

Once she’d closed the door behind her she let out an inner shriek. She couldn’t believe what had just happened.

He was real. He was there.

She clapped her hand over her mouth to stifle a peal of nervous laughter that threatened to escape her throat. She didn’t want him to think she was mocking him. She wasn’t. It was the last thing she wanted to do.

She regained her composure and replayed their conversation in her thoughts.

He’d been watching her for weeks. He was homeless. He was… kind.

Logically she knew the right thing to do was call the police. He’d broken into her apartment. Knew he was capable of extreme violence and yet… she felt safe.

She saw a sadness in his eyes and knew she couldn’t let him just walk away. In his own way, he took care of her.

Now she wanted to take care of him. Offering him the couch for the night was just the start.

She wanted to know him. He said he felt drawn to her. What he didn’t know was that the feeling was mutual.

She wanted so much to believe that she wasn’t romanticizing the events. She had never been a fan of Beauty and the Beast and always thought the women who fell into that “I’m a helpless damsel in distress, rescue me!” fairytale nonsense were silly.

So what did that make her? She was rescued no doubt about that. She was attracted to her rescuer. There was absolutely no doubt about that either.

She shook her head, _No,_ she said to herself. _After he leaves tomorrow I won’t think of him again._ But then she looked over at the painting. _Oh God who am I kidding?!_ She groaned inwardly.

She went to her closet and placed the painting behind the rack of clothes and shut the door. Satisfied, she crawled into bed but did not bother to change into her pajamas. She knew she wasn’t going to get any sleep knowing he was just a short trip down the hall.

\----------

Her alarm was supposed to ring just before 7am. She reached out to turn it off before it had a chance to make a sound.

As expected, she hadn’t slept a wink. Her mind had stayed focused on her guest who was still on the couch in her living room.

She was wired at the moment but was certain she was going to crash soon if she didn’t get any caffeine. She was nervous but knew she had to head back out there. She quickly changed her clothes, brushed out her hair and took a long drink from the glass of water she kept on her bedside table.

She took a deep breath and opened her bedroom door. She peered down the hall but all was quiet. She padded over to the kitchen and started up the coffeemaker.

She knew she was stalling.

She pulled two mugs from the cupboard and filled one with regular black and the other with cream and sugar. She had no idea how he took his coffee… didn’t even know if he liked coffee, she thought suddenly…

Covering her bases she carried the mugs into the living room and was about to speak when she discovered the room was empty. She spun around and saw the balcony door had been closed. She didn’t remember closing it the night before.

It must have been him. He’d left. She never heard a thing.

She was shocked at how sad she suddenly felt. She walked slowly back to the kitchen and put the mugs back on the counter.

She took a deep breath and let out a small whimper. _Oh come on!_ She chastised herself, _Suck it up buttercup! What did you expect would happen?_

Ashamed of her emotional reaction she straightened up, grabbed a paper towel and wiped her cheeks ‘til they were dry. She had no idea why she felt sad enough to cry actual tears.

A minute passed and she went over to the bathroom to take a hot shower. Might as well get on with the day.

A couple of hours later she sat in class next to Erin but was barely hearing what the other woman was telling her. Something about an ‘80s theme party coming up that weekend.

“Sophie, are you even listening to me?” Erin asked, clearly annoyed.

She snapped out of her haze and quickly apologized. “I didn’t get any sleep last night so I’m feeling kind of out of it.”

She stared down at the blank canvas in front of her. She hadn’t been inspired to create anything since she’d completed the painting of Bucky.

 _Bucky,_ she thought, _where did you go? Why did you leave?_

“What’s going on Soph? Tell me,” Erin implored, her anger dissipated as she finally sensed her friend’s despair.

Sophie just shook her head and smiled weakly. “Nothing bad, I promise. Just insomnia.” She reached out for a random paintbrush and looked over the array of acrylics on the supplies table that they shared but did not choose a hue.

Erin eyeballed her for a few moments but then let it go. She changed the subject back to the party and Sophie pretended to listen.

\----------

The moment her bedroom door closed Bucky had felt compelled to run. He knew that if he stayed it was just going to get even more complicated. It was bad enough before he’d spent any time with her, now that they’d spoken at length he was even more conflicted about what he was feeling and what he knew was the right thing to do.

He knew that if he stayed he would only be putting her in danger. It might not be today, tomorrow, next week or next year but someday his past as the Winter Soldier was going to catch up to him and she was going to get caught in the crossfire.

No. It was too risky. Better to leave now. Better to forget. Forget her so that she could forget him.

The thing was… he didn’t want to forget her. He wanted to be with her for as long as she’d let him. He wanted to know everything about her.

But that was part of the problem… if she opened up to him she’d rightfully expect him to open up to her and that was impossible. What would she think of him if she knew where he was really from? What he’d done and what he was still capable of?

He’d said he wanted to protect her. The sad reality was that he was the one she’d ultimately need protection from.

He waited until he felt sure she was asleep before he made his way over to the balcony window. He stepped one foot out before stopping to look back into the apartment.

It was a nice thought. To have a normal life… _to fall in… love?_

But he wasn’t normal.

Couldn’t be loved.

He didn’t deserve a happy ending. Best to walk away now.

He quietly slid the balcony door shut and then silently leapt to the asphalt below. He scaled the opposite building, retrieved the few things he’d stored on the rooftop there and returned to street level.

He refused to look back at her building; if he did he might lose his resolve and be back at her doorstep in a heartbeat. As he walked toward the intersection a single tear slipped down his cheek but he didn’t bother to wipe it away.

\----------

A week had passed since that night in her living room. Sophie often caught herself at random times looking over her shoulder or around corners as she walked, hoping to catch a glimpse of Bucky, thinking maybe he was still keeping an eye on her.

But she never saw him. Had no idea if he was even still in Montreal. He’d told her he was constantly on the move so it made sense if he was no longer even in the same city as her.

The thought of him being alone, drifting with no true place to call home made her incredibly sad. She wished there was a way to find him so she could try to convince him to stick around.

She continued on with her classes and her shifts at the bar but never really felt at ease. Something… _someone_ … was missing.

The truth hit her at the most inopportune moment. She’d been tending bar and was filling an order of tequila shots for a group of ladies who were club hopping as part of their bachelorette party adventure when she overheard the bride and one of her maids talking about the groom-to-be.

“I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!” the bride yelled as she downed the shot that had been placed in front of her.

Sophie was so startled that she dropped the tequila bottle she was holding into the sink in front of her.

“Hey careful with that!” Shay shouted, “That’s the good stuff!” and retrieved it from where it landed among a pile of discarded lemon wedges.

Sophie apologized profusely and begged for a short break; Shay gave her a sidelong look but then nodded her assent. Sophie quickly made her way over to the Employees Only lounge and threw herself down on the couch in exasperation.

_I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!_

She heard the bride’s shriek in her head over and over again and it made her crazy. She pulled one of Shay’s frilly throw pillows into her lap, buried her face in it and let all her stress out in one long frustrated scream.

She missed Bucky. So, so much. And it hurt. A lot.

When she was done she straightened up, pushed her hair back out of her face and whipped the pillow across the room.

 _Ahh,_ she thought, _that’s better._

She went over to the mirror to check on her reflection. _Good enough,_ she shrugged then she headed back out to the bar and pretended all was fine in the universe.

\----------

In the days that followed the night he’d spent with Sophie, Bucky found it extremely difficult to leave Montreal. He kept circling back to her neighborhood but was careful to avoid her street. He definitely did not return to any rooftops.

He saw her from time to time; whenever she left to go to classes or returned from work. He never approached her and never let her see him. He knew it was wrong. Unfair. He wouldn’t let her know he was still around yet he allowed himself the brief comfort of being able to see her whenever he wished.

He’d even dared to go to the club during one of her shifts. He kept a discreet distance and made sure to avoid her line of sight but still managed to watch her for a short time.

She’d been serving a group of very loud women all wearing little plastic crowns on their heads and matching t-shirts that said “bride” and “bridesmaid” on their chests in glittery letters. One woman had shouted something that startled Sophie so much that she excused herself and disappeared for a while.

He saw her head toward a door marked for staff only. When she was safely away he risked going up to her bar and eavesdropped on the women’s conversation.

“I know I keep saying it over and over but it’s true!” the bride shrieked, “I LOVE HIM!!!”

He stepped back in surprise. Is that what Sophie heard that got her so upset?

His mind whirled. He turned and saw that she was making her way back to her post so he made a mad dash to the other side of the bar before she could see him.

He settled into a dark corner and resumed watch over her.

 _Why would that rattle her?_ He wondered to himself.

He was torn. He wanted to go right up to her, pull her into his arms and kiss her deeply but he knew that if he did that it would change everything.

If Hydra ever found out about her they’d use her against him in a heartbeat.

He looked over at her again and was filled with such a deep longing that it almost frightened him.

She looked sad. Withdrawn from the activity around her. She took and filled drink orders in an efficient manner but it was like she was… what was that word she’d used at one point the night they’d talked? Ah yeah… _autopilot_. She was on autopilot.

The night was winding down and the crowd began to thin out. It was time to go. He wouldn’t have much cover left and if he stayed any longer he risked discovery.

He headed for the exit but kept an eye on her until the last possible moment before he slipped out the door.

\----------

The end of her shift finally rolled around and Sophie was relieved that she could clock out and head back home. Shay had been on her case about the tequila bottle and Sophie had apologized profusely. She felt emotionally beaten down.

She waved goodbye to her coworkers and took off toward the metro. It would be another forty-five minutes before she’d be walking through her front door and she couldn’t wait to do just that.

She made her way onto the train platform and took up position in a spot where she knew the doors would open right in front of the stairwell she’d ascend once she got to her regular station closest to home.

One of the things that sucked about depending on public transportation was having to deal with painfully slow metro service at night. It could take up to fifteen or twenty minutes for a single train to arrive. It didn’t sound so bad but then you run the risk of having to deal with jackasses who liked to catcall any woman traveling alone.

That was annoying as hell.

So of course it happened on the one night she wasn’t in the mood to deal with bullshit.

“Hey sweet thing!” a tall man who looked about her age drawled as he walked up to where she stood on the deserted platform.

She ignored him and stood with her feet planted firmly on the ground, shoulder distance apart, and let her arms hang loose at her sides. She watched him out of her peripheral vision as he walked in a half-circle on her left side.

“I said hellooo!” he shouted at her.

She looked him in the eye and assessed what she saw in front of her. He was alone, obviously drunk, and thinking he was going to score.

Against her better judgment she decided to play along in the hopes that he’d get the message that she wasn’t interested.

“Hello,” she said back calmly.

A sloppy grin spread across his face. “There that wasn’t so hard was it?”

Then he grabbed her wrist and forced her hand into his crotch. “Now here’s something HARD for you…” he moaned in her ear.

She yanked her arm back, “FUCK OFF!” she yelled.

Startled, he stumbled back a couple of steps before regaining his footing.

“Hey you don’t have to be such a bitch! I’m just paying you a compliment lettin’ you touch the goods! What are you a goddamn dyke?” he sneered as he wiped drool from his chin.

Disgusted, she turned to walk back toward the main stairwell to put some distance between them.

“I’m not done with you yet!” he shouted as he lunged for her.

She easily sidestepped out of the way and he tumbled forward into a roll then stopped just short of the edge of the platform. He stared up at her in a rage.

“You’re gonna pay for that!” he yelled as he pulled himself up to his knees and reached out to grab her.

In the struggle she lost her footing and pitched forward. She teetered on the edge and then felt a hand on her lower back shove her from behind. She landed squarely between the tracks and hit her head on the cement floor.

Dazed, she tried to pull herself up into a sitting position.

Then she heard the train.

She struggled to her feet and tried desperately to climb back up onto the platform and avoid the electric current that crackled less than a metre away. The vibration from the oncoming train grew in intensity.

She reached as far up as she could but was not able to get any traction. Desperate, she called out to the man who’d been harassing her but he had disappeared. “Hey! HEY! Somebody! Help me…”

She was alone.

The train was almost at the station.

Just then the headlights appeared at the far end of the platform. Time was up.

The horn blew hard and the train braked suddenly as the driver saw her at a distance but the vehicle’s momentum was too strong. She was about to get hit. She squeezed her eyes shut and screamed.

Suddenly she felt two strong hands grab her under her arms and pull her up onto the platform just before the train rushed past.

She rolled onto her side into the fetal position and cradled her head where it had smacked the cement floor. She pulled her hand back and saw her palm was slick with blood.

She had a hard time focusing her eyes and her ears were ringing. She felt a hand on her shoulder and thought she could hear a man’s voice calling her name.

As her head cleared she looked up. Bucky was on his knees next to her. He had his left arm around her shoulders and was gently cupping her jaw with his right hand.

“Sophie! Sophie, are you okay? Can you hear me?”

He looked so worried! His beautiful face was a mask of fear and sadness. She reached out to touch his cheek. It was wet.

“Bucky…” she gasped, “You’re here… you came back…”

He nodded and smiled weakly at her despite the worry still etched on his face.

“Yeah I did,” he whispered, “…I came back for you. I had to Sophie. I had to...”

\----------


	3. Underground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fallout from Bucky's decision takes a surprising turn.

Bucky had promised himself that he’d keep his distance from Sophie but when he saw her being harassed on the train platform he couldn’t stay away any longer.

He’d been following her on her route home and was planning to see her to her door when he saw the man approach her at the Mont-Royal metro station. He was on the overpass above the platform when the altercation escalated quickly and by the time he’d reached her she’d already tumbled down onto the tracks.

The man who he’d witnessed shove her over the edge was running as fast as he could up the same stairwell that Bucky himself was running down. He was tempted to grab him and smash him against the wall but he knew there was no time to waste.

He heard the train coming and sprinted to the edge of the platform where Sophie was struggling to climb to safety. The train’s horn blared and the vehicle was barreling toward her. He reached her at the last second and pulled her up.

She fell to the floor in pain. He could see blood in her dark hair.

He was both furious and terrified.

He reached out to her. Pulled her halfway into his arms and tried to get her to focus.

He began to cry. She touched his face.

 _Bucky…_  
_You’re here… you came back…_

_Yeah I did. I came back for you… I had to Sophie. I had to..._

  
He held her for a long time then gently picked her up and cradled her to his chest as he quickly carried her along the platform and back up the stairs. When they reached the ticket window he urged the uniformed man to call for an ambulance.

“Please!” he begged. “Please help us!”

\----------

The paramedics arrived and insisted that Sophie let them take her to the ER. She tried to protest but they warned her of possible repercussions of not getting checked out properly.

  
“I’m okay I swear!” she insisted. “It’s just a bump on the noggin nothing to get freaked out about.” She tried to smile but the pain was clearly behind her forced grin.

“Mademoiselle we’re going to have to insist!” said the female paramedic whose uniform ID tag said Bélanger. “If we don’t take you to get checked out now it might only get worse later. You need to let us and the doctors do their job. We’re not taking no for an answer, tu comprends?”

Sophie looked over at Bucky, who remained silent. His worried expression convinced her to go along with their recommendation so she nodded her assent.

On the ride to the hospital he sat quietly by as the paramedic monitored her. She reached out a hand to him and after a moment he took it and held it in his own. She looked down and saw that he was wearing thin leather gloves again. It piqued her curiosity but she didn’t ask any questions.

Once at the hospital she was whisked away to an area where Bucky was not allowed to follow.

“I’ll wait for you,” she heard him call out as she and the paramedics disappeared behind a large set of automatic doors.

\----------

Bucky settled into a chair in one corner of the waiting room and sat perfectly still as he stared at the wall across from him. It was covered in bilingual posters that promoted healthy living as well as a fundraiser for the children’s ward happening on the 4th floor. After a while he stopped seeing and hearing the people around him.

He was used to waiting for things. A target to return home. His handler to provide mission details. The scientists preparing him for his return to cryo…

He inhaled sharply and shook his head furiously as if to force the memories out of his brain. He noticed a few people look over at him curiously. Cursing himself for his carelessness he shifted in his seat to face away from them and tried to focus on Sophie.

He looked up and saw a pair of police officers at the registration desk. He overheard enough of their inquiry to realize that they were there to talk to her about what had happened on the platform.

Outwardly he was calm and cool but inside he was a complete mess.

He was a witness. They’d ask for his name. Ask him where he lived. He couldn’t... no, he wouldn’t… leave Sophie but he knew if he stayed he’d have to answer a lot of questions that he wasn’t comfortable with.

Suddenly they turned and looked over at him with serious expressions. The receptionist had pointed him out as the person who’d come in with Sophie in the ambulance. They walked over to him and introduced themselves.

“English or French?” asked the older officer. “Tu parles anglais ou français monsieur?”

 _I can speak thirty languages,_ Bucky thought to himself; but since Sophie was an anglophone he replied the former.

“I’m Constable Daigneault,” the first one said in a heavy French-Canadian accent, “This is Constable Olivier. Can you tell us what happened?”

Bucky recounted everything in as much detail as he could while leaving out the part about having also been following her from her place of work. He didn’t want them to think he was a stalker.

 _But aren’t you?_ The voice asked. He ignored it.

“So you saw the man who pushed her. Think you can describe him to a sketch artist?” Constable Olivier inquired.

“Yes I think so,” he replied evenly.

Constable Daigneault spoke again, “The victim,” he said as he consulted his notes, “Sophie Corbeau… you two know each other?”

Bucky swallowed then nodded, “Yes, we’re friends.”

Daigneault watched him carefully. “So why weren’t you with her on the platform? It was late. If she’s your friend, as you claim, why weren’t you there? Why did you only show up after she’d been assaulted?”

Bucky stared at his gloved hands. “I… I was running late. Told her I’d catch up. It all happened so fast. I saw the guy was bothering her and by the time I reached her he’d split from the scene…”

He looked up at the two constables that loomed above him. He needed to stay calm. If he showed any hint of the agitation he knew their friendly meeting would get very unfriendly very fast.

The double doors that Sophie had been wheeled through opened and a young doctor emerged. She scanned the room and her eyes settled on him. She walked over to where he was sitting.

“Bonjour, hello I’m Dr. Saulnier. Are you Bucky? Bucky…” she scanned her notes, “I’m sorry I didn’t get your last name from Mademoiselle Corbeau,” she looked at him expectantly.

He waited a few seconds before answering. “It’s Barnes.”

She smiled at him, “Well Monsieur Barnes I’m here to bring you back with me. Mademoiselle Corbeau has asked for you,” she turned to the pair of constables, “If that’s okay with you,” she stated rather than asked.

Daigneault hesitated but Olivier was quick to reply, “Pas problème docteur. Mais, we also need to take Mademoiselle Corbeau’s statement if she’s up for it,” he held his pen and notebook in his hands, “We will accompany Monsieur Barnes.”

Dr. Saulnier held up a hand, “I’m sorry only one visitor at a time and that one right now is this gentleman here,” she motioned for Bucky to join her as she made her way back to the double doors. He followed quickly.

“I’ll let you know when you can see her,” she called back over her shoulder to the constables as the door closed behind them.

She guided him to a bed tucked into the northeast corner of the ward where Sophie lay curled up on her side, her eyes closed.

“Keep it brief, she needs her rest,” she advised before stepping away to talk to a nurse about another patient.

He looked down at her as she slept. She looked so small. He settled into the chair next to the bed and watched over her.

He vowed to always watch over her.

\----------

She opened her eyes and saw the most beautiful sight: Bucky. He was there by her bed looking at her with such affection. She smiled at him and he leaned in close.

“Hey you,” she whispered.

“Hey yourself,” he replied softly, “how are you feeling?” He looked worried.

She tried to shift positions but a sharp pain in her left temple stopped her. He put a hand to her shoulder and urged her to stay still. “Stop," he chided, “You’ll only make it worse.”

She lay back on her pillow and let out a deep sigh, “I’m starting to think you really are my guardian angel,” she teased as she massaged her forehead with her fingertips.

He grinned sheepishly at her, “I was just in the right place at the right time.”

“Yes you were,” she agreed. They looked at each other for a long time before either of them could speak again.

“Bucky where have you been?” she finally asked softly.

He shifted in his seat. “Close by,” he admitted, “I wasn’t sure if I should contact you… you know, because of the way I left…” he averted his gaze.

“Yeah I remember,” she said sadly.

He looked back at her again when he heard the despair in her voice.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you. It’s actually what I wanted to avoid,” he explained.

She reached out a hand and he held it. “Why? Why were you sure you’d hurt me?”

He traced circles on her palm with his gloved fingertips and spoke so softly she could barely hear him.

“I… I’m not a good person Sophie. I’d only bring you pain.” His shut his eyes and refused to look at her.

She shook her head gently and immediately regretted it as the sharp pain returned. “I don’t believe that. A good person would risk his own safety in order to help someone else who was in danger.  
  
Bucky look at me,” she implored, “You’ve saved my life two different times now. Someone who is not a good person wouldn’t have done it the one time much less twice.”

He still refused to meet her eye.

“Look at me Bucky. Please!” she begged.

He finally met her gaze and the sadness she saw there broke her heart.

“You’re a good man,” she insisted. He inhaled sharply.

“You are!” she stated again, this time with an edge to her voice.

He shook his head as tears threatened to spill down his cheeks. “I can’t. You don’t know. You don’t know who I am… what I am and what I’ve done…” he drew in a ragged breath.

“Then tell me,” she said softly.

“I can’t!” he repeated, “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you…”

She gripped his hand in hers, “Try me,” she whispered.

He seemed so torn between wanting to open up and wanting to completely shut down that she decided to switch gears to take some of the pressure off both of them.

“Hey shhhhh, it’s okay,” she soothed, “there’s no rush, all right? We don’t have to talk about anything right now.” She smiled at him hoping he’d give her a chance.

He sat so still but finally his body relaxed a tiny bit. He returned a smile of his own and said, “All right,” he echoed.

\----------

He was amazed by her persistence but was still fairly certain she’d change her tune once he told her about his past. If she even believed him in the first place!

Overnight in the ER was relatively quiet, which surprised them both. She’d been taken for a CT scan somewhere around 4am and Bucky had insisted on accompanying her. Several doctors and nurses had come by to check her vitals, examine her vision and her head wound. One was eventually on hand to provide some much needed stitches.

“Took them long enough,” Bucky growled as the woman disappeared back down the hall after she was done. Sophie rolled her eyes and nodded her agreement as she gingerly touched her temple with her fingertips and stared daggers at the retreating nurse’s back. “Canadian healthcare may be free but it takes a hell of a long time to get treated!” she complained as the pain arced through the side of her head.

They managed to get a few hours of sleep before she was finally cleared to leave. They spent much of the next morning providing their statements to the police and both had consulted with a sketch artist whose rendering of the suspect was close to perfection. It was finally time to go home and Sophie was thrilled.

“Freedom!” she exclaimed as they exited the police station. Bucky had been extremely uncomfortable the entire time they were there but the situation just couldn’t be helped. He wasn’t about to abandon her when she needed him.

“I can’t call my boss Shay for a ride,” she stated, “I’m not in the mood for the endless questions she’s going to have for me,” she looked at him expectantly. “Want to jump in a cab with me? I got twenty bucks left in my wallet with Diamond Taxi written all over it!”

She continued to surprise him. “You sure you want me to come home with you?” he gave her a wicked grin for a split second.

“Well yeah,” she laughed, “there’s no one else I’d rather hang out with right now.”

Once back at her place after he’d gotten her settled he wasn’t quite sure what came next. He hadn’t spent significant time with a woman, or anyone for that matter, for… well, decades and he didn’t have a clue what to do with himself.

After she took her pain meds she curled up on the couch. “Can you open the windows please?” she asked, “We need some fresh air in here.” He complied and was pleased to find himself relaxing a little bit more. He turned back to her to see she had the TV remote in her hand.

“Come sit with me,” she called out to him as she patted the seat next to her. He ambled over and perched on the edge.

“You can do better than that,” she scolded in jest, “come on, scoot back here,” she said as she pointed to the back of the overstuffed sofa.

He followed her lead and leaned back into the comfortable seat. She was right it really was a better spot. He smiled at her.

“I have a bunch of stuff saved on my DVR. Wanna watch something?” he nodded as she scrolled through at least a couple dozen titles.

As she studied her choices he could tell she felt cold because she rubbed her forearms with her hands as if to chase away a chill. He immediately got up and went over to the hall closet and brought back a comforter for her.

“Ahh you read my mind!” she beamed at him as he placed the blanket over her and tucked it under her feet as she curled her legs up onto the couch. He sat back down next to her.

He could tell she was curious about his arm by the way she kept glancing at his gloves and long sleeved shirt but was too polite to ask. He wished he could tell her about it but it came with a very high risk that she’d demand he leave and take his insanity with him.

Yet she stayed quiet. He settled back into the couch and was surprised when she lifted up the other end of the comforter for him.

“I don’t want you to get cold either,” she said softly. After a few moments he accepted her offer and brought the blanket up to his chest after he kicked his boots off and sat cross-legged on the couch.

She chose a title and raved that the show was amazing. It was about a former millionaire playboy who’d been stranded on a desert island for five years where he experienced and survived extremely brutal situations; he managed to make his way back home where he became a street vigilante who used a bow and arrows as his primary weapons. Sophie said it was based on a comic book.

He raised his eyebrows. It sounded like no comic book he’d ever read as a kid. Then again comics were quite different back in the 1930s but he couldn’t tell her that, she’d think he was just messing with her.

They watched an episode in relative silence. He became engrossed in the plotline and was impressed with what he saw. Whoever had coordinated the fight scenes definitely knew what they were doing as the flips, footwork, archery and hand-to-hand combat techniques portrayed on the show were almost flawless.

When it was over she immediately pressed play on the next episode. It felt nice to be there with her, watching TV and acting so… so normal. The idea that this could somehow become his life was so tempting.

Yet he knew it was just a dream and that it was only a matter of time before it all came crashing down on his head and he’d lose her, and this peace that came along with her companionship, forever.

\----------

After the second episode ended Sophie looked over at Bucky. It was almost 1:30 in the afternoon and she was getting hungry.

“Hey,” she said, “Feel like ordering in some pizza or something? Hospital food sucks so I haven’t had a decent meal since my last dinner break at the bar.”

He shrugged and replied, “Uhh… yeah sure but… I don’t have much money but I’ll pitch in what I can…” he suddenly found the hem of the comforter extremely fascinating. He didn’t know how to tell her that he did indeed have a wad of stolen Hydra cash; the only problem was that it was stashed in a safe place on the roof of her neighbours’ building across the parking lot.

“Don’t worry I got this,” she said as she reached for the phone and punched in one digit on the speed dial.

“Hector! Hi!” she smiled as she spoke to whoever had picked up. “How have you been? How are Rita and the girls?”

He smiled and watched as she expressed genuine interest in Hector’s answers.

“Uh huh… yes… no way! That’s awesome! Tell her I said congrats!”

She looked back over at Bucky. “Hey Hector I need a favour. Can I get a large all-dressed and a 2-litre bottle of… hold on a sec…” she covered the mouth piece and called out, “you okay with all dressed pizza and a bottle of soda? Sprite okay with you?”

He just nodded, wide-eyed.

“Hey… okay sorry about that… so yeah a large all-dressed with a 2-litre Sprite. Uh huh. Yes my tab. Thank you Hector I really appreciate this. Yup, 30 minutes is cool. Uh huh. Awesome! Thanks again my friend. Bye!” then hung up the phone.

“Lunch will be here in half an hour,” she announced.

He cocked his head slightly and said, “Who’s Hector? Sounds like you really like him.” He wasn’t jealous just curious.

“Ahh Hector and Rita run this amazing little pizza place on the corner near the bank and the cultural centre over on 30th avenue. When I first moved into this neighbourhood about four years ago they gave me a job working the cash register and taking phone orders,” she explained as she settled back into her spot on the couch.

“They’re wonderful people, real salt-of-the-earth types. They have two daughters, both in high school. Maritza, the older one, just made the diving team.”

He loved to watch her talk. Her hands were so animated and her eyes lit up and crinkled in the corners when she smiled.

“…the money I made working there I saved up for art school. When I finally got in they gave me a bonus that helped to cover my art supplies for the first semester of classes. They are really amazing people!”

He loved to listen to her voice. Felt like he could listen to it all day. He snapped back to attention when he realized she’d asked him a question.

“I’m sorry, what?” he said, licking his lips anxiously.

She cocked her head and squinted at him. “I asked if you wanted to watch another episode while we wait for the food to get here…?” She’d picked up the remote and motioned toward the TV with it.

He cleared his throat nervously and said, “yeah… I mean yes, if you want to…” and locked his eyes on the screen.

He could have sworn she giggled under her breath. He stole a quick glance back at her but her eyes were glued to the screen as the lead actor’s voiceover began.

Half an hour later on the dot the front door buzzer went off and she went to answer it. A few minutes later a young girl appeared at the door with their food.

“Hey Talia!” Sophie greeted her warmly as she took the pizza box and soda bottle from her hands and gestured for Bucky to come take them. He obliged and was embarrassed when the young girl gaped at him in shock. He retreated into the kitchen but listened closely to their conversation.

“Oh my God Sophie!” she squeaked, “What the hell happened to you? You look like you got hit by a truck! And more importantly WHO is that gorgeous man?!” Talia stood on her tiptoes in an attempt to see around Sophie, who in turn was trying to shield Bucky from the younger woman’s prying eyes.

He blushed scarlet.

“He’s… my friend Bucky.” Sophie replied cautiously.

“Your friend huh? Not your _boyfriend?_ ” Talia teased.

Sophie put a hand up in front of the girl’s face. “Talia please… stop. This is…” she hesitated, “…new.”

He perked up. She didn’t completely dismiss the idea.

“Say no more,” Talia said as she backed away with her hands up in mock surrender, “At least about him. Dude what happened to your face? Did someone hurt you? Whose ass do I have to kick?!” her words came out in a torrent.

Sophie sighed and eyeballed her young friend as she handed her a five-dollar bill. “Had a little accident last night that’s all. You don’t need to kick anyone’s ass I promise.”

Bucky smirked.

“Do me a favour,” Sophie continued before letting go of the tip money, “Please don’t tell your parents or your sister about my injury or about me having company. I’m not up for a classic Scorsone family interrogation no matter how many free mozzarella sticks are thrown in as compensation, okay?”

Talia grinned and nodded, “Scout’s honour!” she chirped as she headed out into the hallway.

“You were never in the Scouts!” Sophie called after her. Bucky heard Talia laugh from down the hall as Sophie closed the door.

“Ugh! The little bratski better keep her word…” she muttered.

She entered the kitchen and pulled some plates and glasses from the cupboards. He stood still as he watched her move.

She gestured for him to follow her to the table by the window where she set up the grub and poured the drinks.

Instinctively, he pulled a chair away from the table and indicated for her to sit. She grinned, obliged and he pushed it forward as she sat. Something about this gesture reminded him a bit of what his social life was like back before he first left for the war. He immediately pushed the thought out of his mind and refocused on the present.

She picked up her drink and said “Cheers!” then waited for him to clink his glass to hers. He touched their drinks together.

 _Wow,_ he thought to himself… _I love this…_

\----------

After the meal was done, the leftovers stored in the fridge and the dishes left to soak in the sink they returned to the living room to resume their Arrow marathon. There was one episode left on the DVR and Sophie was anxious to see how the cliffhanger would be resolved. Or so he thought.

She settled into her spot and watched as Bucky resumed his as well. Instead of pressing play she instead turned the TV off completely.

He looked at her, startled.

“Can I ask you something?” she said softly.

He nodded wordlessly.

“How long do you think you’ll be in Montreal?”

He inhaled deeply. “I… I’m not sure, to be honest.” He looked over at her with a hint of sadness in his eyes.

“Truth be told I’ve never been in one city for so long in many, many years. I’ve been here for, what is it, over a month now in total? I’m usually half a dozen cities away within that amount of time.”

He looked steadily at her as he spoke. “That first night… that we talked, I said that I was… drawn to you,” he whispered, eyes suddenly downcast.

She nodded but wasn’t sure he’d seen.

“I haven’t felt close… to anyone… in a very long time. Something about you Sophie… well, it’s changed something. In me, I mean.”

He seemed hesitant but risked eye contact again.

It was her turn to speak. “If you had a place to crash,” she whispered, “would you stay? Here in the city I mean.”

He nodded slowly, not sure where the conversation was headed.

She took a deep breath. _What the hell it was worth a shot…_

“Stay here,” she breathed, “Stay in my apartment with me,” she gestured around the room with a sweep of her arm. “You could sleep on the couch,” she rushed to speak, “No pressure. We could be… roommates?”

\----------

He was stunned. The last time he’d had a roommate was back in the early 1940s when he’d shared a dingy little one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn with Steve ( _the man on the bridge… Steve… Rogers… “I’m not going to fight you… you’re my friend…”_ ).

He shook his head at the sudden memory of their battle on the Helicarrier; unfortunately, this movement led to her misunderstanding his response.

“Oh. Oh wow. I’m sorry! I overstepped…” she quickly got to her feet and wrung her hands nervously as she paced.

He jumped up. “Wait! No, that’s not… I didn’t mean to say no to your idea. I… I was just reminded of something from a long time ago. I was trying to clear my head…” he stammered, trying hard to recover the moment that was happening between them.

She stopped pacing and faced him. She looked up into his eyes and he felt a delicious warmth start to flow through him starting from the top of his head and slowly trickle down his body, out to his fingertips, down his legs and pool at his feet.

Before he realized what was happening their lips were achingly close together. Her hands were on his shoulders and his were on her waist. He touched his forehead to hers and deeply breathed in her scent. She reached up to cradle his face in her hands and touched her nose to his in a sweet gesture.

He smiled; she grinned back.

Then it happened. His mouth was on hers and it was the most incredible sensation he’d felt in over seventy years. Her lips were soft and full and perfect. He felt her pull him to her as she wrapped her arms around his neck and sighed into the kiss.

He let her gently tease his lips open with her tongue. The moment they connected was electric. He pulled her closer and lifted her off the floor as he brought her up to his full height while he held her in his arms.

They deepened the kiss and she moaned into his mouth as he lowered her back down again. He responded with a moan of his own as he pulled her hips to his and massaged her lower back. She tangled her hands in his long hair as he pressed his lips to her neck.

She ran her hands down his arms… and stopped suddenly. She pulled back with a startled look on her face and placed both hands on his left arm.

 _Oh God no!_ His thoughts screamed.

She tugged on his left glove and it fell to the floor. He was frozen on the spot.

She took his metal hand in both of hers and stared in wonder.

Not disgust. Not fear. Wonder.

“A prosthetic?” she asked softly as she examined his palm and then turned it over to take a good look at the back and at his metal fingers.

He squeezed his eyes shut and could only nod.

“You were… in the army?” she asked. He nodded again, his lips pursed tightly.

She still held his metal hand, “Bucky look at me,” she pleaded.

He shook his head.

“Bucky,” she whispered, “please. It’s okay…”

He slowly opened his eyes and looked at her sweet face. There was nothing but kindness there.

No fear.

No revulsion.

She pulled up his metal hand and placed it over her heart.

“You’re a good man Bucky. I know it,” and pulled him toward her for another soft kiss.

He melted against her, a wave of relief crashed over him as her words echoed in his mind.

_You’re a good man Bucky. I know it…_

If she believed it, maybe he could start to believe it, too.

\----------

They kissed for a few moments more before they came up for air. Sophie couldn’t believe what was happening. She knew she had developed feelings for him but had no idea he felt the same until he pulled her into an embrace.

It was heaven.

She needed to catch her breath. Discovering his prosthetic had afforded her the opportunity.

She went to return to the couch and gently tugged on his hand to indicate he should follow. They sat side by side wordlessly, exchanging kisses and smiles before she willed herself to speak again.

“Are you okay to talk about it?” she asked as she rested her hand on his left arm. He stiffened and she immediately regretted the question.

“It’s a… long story,” his voice was rough.

She looked up into his eyes and saw hesitation so she decided to drop the subject.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, I understand,” she offered.

“It’s not that I don’t want to,” he replied softly, “it’s just that… the story behind it… it’s impossible to believe.” His voice betrayed a sadness that broke her heart.

“If it hadn’t happened to me… and someone told me about it… I’d tell ‘em they were out of their goddamn mind.” He inhaled sharply.

She reached a hand up to caress his face.

“Try me,” she breathed.

He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch.

“I wish I could…” a single tear slid down his cheek. She kissed it away.

“There are things in my past,” she said quietly, “things that are painful. Stuff that gives me nightmares,” she stared down at her hands, “I know what it’s like to be haunted. Whatever happened to you… I’ll help you in any way I can.”

She pressed her forehead to his and breathed deeply. The next tear that fell was hers.

He kissed it away then kissed her mouth deeply. She pulled him closer.

“Promise me something,” he said suddenly, “promise me you’ll keep an open mind?”

She nodded.

“You have a computer?” he asked, getting up from the couch. Confused, she nodded. “My laptop is in the bedroom,” she pointed down the hall.

“Let me show you something.”

They made their way to her bed and she opened up a browser on the computer.

“Go to the website for the Smithsonian,” he instructed.

She did so and after a few clicks found herself on the search engine page for the museum archives.

“Type in James Buchanan Barnes,” he said quietly.

She looked up at him curiously but he just nodded and indicated that she should continue.

She typed in the name and waited as the results were compiled. He pointed to the first link and she clicked on it.

She yelped in shock.

He moved off the bed and went back into the living room to give her the chance to read in private.

She stared at the photo on the front page. It was him. It was Bucky. His hair was much shorter and he was slightly more fresh-faced but it was really him. Only it said he was born in 1917… _and died in 1944._

Her mind raced. _What the hell?!_


	4. Waiting on a Sign

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky takes a daring risk and bares his soul to Sophie. Will it pay off or will it spell the end of their relationship before it even has the chance to truly begin?

_You’re a good man Bucky. I know it…_

Sophie’s words echoed in his mind as he blindly made his way back to the living room after leaving her to read in peace. He reached out to steady himself against the walls of the narrow hall and drew in long, deep breaths.

 _Stay calm,_ he thought to himself, _have faith…_

He made his way over to the couch and collapsed onto it. He stretched out lengthwise on his belly, buried his face in the comforter and let both legs dangle off the side. He was so tall that he didn’t fit all the way.

It was eerily quiet. Not a single sound or motion could be detected from the closed confines of Sophie’s bedroom. He wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

He pulled himself back up into a sitting position and tossed the balled up comforter onto the nearby armchair. He continued to draw in deep breaths as he surveyed the room. Just like last time, he gazed over at the framed photographs on the faux fireplace mantle and felt a pang of sadness. He got up, walked over to the collection and picked up one in his flesh hand.

Sophie was smiling with friends and they looked to be celebrating a festive occasion in a night club. He grinned and put the frame back in its spot and picked up another; this one had Sophie arm in arm with a young woman and both of them wore paint splattered clothes. It looked like they were in an art studio.

He replaced the second frame and stepped away from the mantle as he wandered over to her stereo and music collection. Many of the bands were unfamiliar to him. _The Tea Party – Edges of Twilight_ caught his eye. He picked up the CD case and examined the song titles. He toyed with the idea of playing something but immediately changed his mind. He had no idea what to expect when Sophie finally came out of her room so getting caught rummaging through her stuff was an undesireable thought.

He shuffled back over to the couch and perched on the edge. His anxiety grew the longer it took for Sophie to re-emerge; he couldn’t blame her for taking her time though. Everything he was asking her to understand, to believe, well it was a lot to ask of someone in so little time.

He stared at the floor in quiet contemplation and eventually rested his head in his hands. Eyes closed now, he focused only on the sound of his breathing. It had been almost an hour since he’d closed the bedroom door behind him.

In that moment he heard it open and it felt like his heart stopped.

She was coming back out.

\----------

She was stunned but continued to read about the war, the Howling Commandos, Captain America and Bucky’s final mission where he’d been presumed dead after he’d fallen from a train into a steep ravine.

She wasn’t sure how long she’d been reading when she became aware of how quiet Bucky was in the next room.

He was right. It was an impossible tale. Yet, there he was. In her apartment. Somehow alive. _Somehow young!_

Slightly panicking she slammed the laptop closed and began to try to reduce her rapidly rising heart rate. Several minutes of deep cleansing breaths helped her regain control.

A long while later she slowly walked back into the living room. Bucky sat hunched forward on the couch, elbows on his knees and his hands clasped together as he stared a hole in the hardwood floor.

She sat down next to him in silence. His whole body was tense like he was waiting for a bomb to drop.

“Bucky,” she whispered.

He didn’t respond. Didn’t move.

“Bucky,” she said again.

He shut his eyes tightly and turned his head away from her.

She got up and then kneeled before him as he stayed rooted to the couch.

“Bucky please look at me,” she said softly.

She took his hands and held them in her own.

“I’m sorry,” she cooed, “I’m so sorry you suffered so much…” she reached up to brush away a section of his long dark hair that had fallen over his eyes.

He looked at her then. “That’s only the tip of the iceberg,” he whispered sadly.

She held his face and kissed his eyes, his forehead, his cheeks, chin, nose and finally his mouth.

“Whatever you want to share, I’m here,” she offered.

He pulled her up into his arms and held her on his lap as he leaned back into the couch. He buried his face in her neck and breathed deeply. After a few moments he spoke again.

“Do you remember what happened in Washington last spring? It was all over the news. A division of the American government called SHIELD had these… helicarriers that were shot down over the Potomac.”

She nodded, recalling how the twenty-four hour news networks were saturated with disaster coverage for weeks.

“I was there,” he whispered.

She was wide-eyed but silent.

“Oh God where do I begin so that you could understand?”

She pressed her lips to his forehead. “May I make a suggestion?”

He nodded silently as he looked at her with wet eyes.

“What happened to you when you fell… from the train?”

His whole body stiffened as the memories from that day flooded back.

“I’m sorry! We don’t have to do this,” she assured him.

“No… it’s okay…,” he said as he clasped her hands in his, “It’s just… I just don’t know how you’ll be able to believe me.”

She nodded her understanding and quietly listened.

“In the 1940s SHIELD was originally known as the Strategic Scientific Reserve, or SSR as we came to call it. It was an Allied government agency that used science and technology as a means to get a leg up in the war against the Nazis.

“One of their experiments resulted in the creation of Captain America…” his voice faltered as a vision of Steve, newly tall and healthy and strong in his red, white and blue uniform formed in his memory.

Ahh yes!” she interjected, “I remember when he was discovered frozen in the ice a few years back. They found out he was still alive and took him to New York City. He was part of the Avengers during that alien invasion in 2012.”

He nodded as she recounted the events that the mass media had been allowed to reveal about the Battle of New York.

She looked back up into his eyes, “Were you part of the Avengers?”

“Me? No!” he was startled. “I was… elsewhere at the time.”

“Where were you?”

He sighed. “Before I get into that I need to tell you a bit more about SHIELD.”

She nodded and waited for him to continue.

“The Smithsonian exhibit said I was born in 1917 and was declared dead in 1944. That’s all true. I was a sergeant in the American army. In 1943 enemy forces captured my whole unit and many of my friends and fellow soldiers were killed.”

“The Nazis had their own version of the SSR. They called it,” he hesitated as if it pained him to speak, “ …Hydra.”

His body was trembling so she pulled him closer to her.

“The Hydra scientists… took many of us to this closed off section of the POW camp. When we weren’t being worked to death as slave labour making their weapons we were being experimented on like lab rats.”

“They… they took me…” he began to shake and she gripped him tightly in her arms.

“They tortured me. Cut me. Burned me. Injected me with poison. For days and days they just kept coming back with new and different ways to hurt me in order to see how I recovered from what they were doing. I was tied down the whole time so I had no way to fight back. I lost track of how long I was there.”

Tears spilled down both their faces.

“Finally I heard a commotion. Explosions. Men screaming. I thought I was finally going to die… but then… then I was rescued. My best friend Steve found me. He pulled me out of that lab and we made our way out to freedom.”

“I saw things,” he said with horror in his voice, “Terrible things! A man who had a face… but it wasn’t his real face… wasn’t his real skin. It was a mask… his skull…” Bucky shuddered at the memory of Johann Schmidt’s true visage.

She kissed his cheek and cupped his jaw with her hand.

He took a deep breath and continued, “When Steve and I were kids, he was a scrawny little thing y’know? Always getting sick. He had a big heart but his body didn’t match. He tried again and again to sign up for the army but they never let him in on account a’him being so weak.”

“By the time I’d shipped off to England he’d made contact with a German scientist who was working for the American government. This scientist, Erskine, recruited Steve to participate in an experiment.”

“Steve is… Captain America.”

Her eyes widened at the revelation.

“He still looks young,” she said, “because he was frozen in the ice. How is it that you are still young, too?”

He paused to collect his thoughts.

“Before Erskine immigrated to the U.S. he worked in Germany. The Nazis had heard about his work on enhancing human DNA and wanted to incorporate his research into their technology as part of their war effort. He resisted and escaped but not before a failed experiment took place.”

“After he was gone they tried to recreate the formula. They came close. The stuff they injected me with…”

“Oh my God!” she breathed.

He nodded solemnly. “It was the bastard version of Erskine’s formula. Whatever it was made of…it was in my system. It eventually helped me survive the fall from the train into the ravine.”

“The enemy found me,” his voice cracked.

“My arm was shredded. My body broken pretty much everywhere. I was barely breathing but I was still alive. They took me,” he drew in a ragged breath, “…they took me back to their lab and they continued to experiment on me.”

He choked back a sob as she pulled him into a bear hug and buried her face in his neck. He let loose a series of deep guttural cries for several minutes before he was able to speak again.

He gripped her so hard it was starting to hurt but she didn’t dare say a word. If she broke the spell he might never be able to open up this way again.

“They amputated my arm and… and replaced it with this,” he said with disgust as lifted his left arm and flexed it.

She stared at his hand. “You mean it goes all the way up?” she asked as she ran her hand up from his wrist to his shoulder.

He nodded, and then shifted in his seat. He removed the remaining glove from his right hand and slowly pulled his shirt up and off so she could see… really see… his arm. His shoulder. His scarred flesh.

She was stunned silent. The shiny metal gleamed in the light. It was a perfect match to his… human… arm in shape, form and contour. Her eyes traveled up to the area where flesh and metal were fused. The scarring was thick, born of slashes.

“Oh my God…” she breathed as she touched her fingertips to the edge.

He trembled as she reached out, and then grabbed her wrist to stop her. Their eyes locked and she apologized.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry,” she said over and over again.

He pulled her wrist to his lips and gently kissed the sensitive skin on the underside.

His eyes stayed downcast as he continued his story. “When they found me at the bottom of the ravine I had massive head injuries. My memories were almost completely gone.”

“This excited them. Not only did they plan to experiment on my body but they’d plotted one for my mind as well.”

His eyes darkened as he recalled the sight of the machinery he’s been locked inside against his will.

“They wiped my memories completely. They had this experimental technology that incorporated brainwashing, thought control and memory manipulation. They would… they would tie me down and send electric shocks into my brain to specific areas for memory and personality traits.”

“They erased me,” he said in a small voice, “I was a complete blank. Anything they told me, I believed. Anything they wanted me to do, I did it. Without question.“

He stared at the ceiling. “They turned me into a weapon,” he whispered. Tears filled his eyes as he struggled to remain focused.

She wiped his face with her fingertips and pulled him into an embrace.

Are you okay to continue?” she asked softy. He nodded and offered a weak half-smile before frowning again.

“I… I need to get this out. I need you to understand. It wasn’t me. Well, that’s not entirely accurate. It was my body but not my mind. When they wiped my mind they replaced my thoughts and memories with new protocols.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“I was a top marksman when I was in the army. They figured why waste my talent so they turned me into a sniper. An assassin.”

She was speechless.

“Sophie… I killed… so many people.” He covered his face with his hands as his body once again shook with sobs.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gently rocked him as he released his pain. She cooed soothing words as she smoothed his hair with her palms and kissed his forehead.

Eventually he was able to speak again. “When… when they didn’t need me anymore they… they put me in cryo.”

She looked at him in confusion. “Cryo? As in cryogenically frozen? I thought that was just science fiction!”

He shook his head sadly. “Not fiction,” he breathed.

Suddenly his youthful appearance made sense. “You didn’t age in cryo,” she stated. He nodded.

She took a series of deep breaths. “Oh God…oh my God…” she said as she held and rocked him again.

He was eerily quiet for several moments then continued to speak.

“Washington.” he stated, “Last spring Hydra had planned to assert domination over the world by using the Helicarriers as weapons of mass destruction, starting there.”

“Alexander Pierce was the head of Hydra at the time. Back in the ‘40s everyone had believed that Hydra had been destroyed when Hitler was defeated,” he shook his head, “Not true. It still existed as a secret faction within SHIELD itself,” he explained as he recalled the information he’d gleaned from the documents Natasha Romanoff had released online during the seige at the Triskelion.

“Pierce had planned to murder millions of people all at once to prove his belief that Hydra was the world’s only true superpower. The Helicarriers were equipped with hundreds of thousands of machine guns, torpedo launchers and fighter jets. He wanted to target anyone who posed a threat to him and to Hydra.”

“He didn’t count on Steve… Captain America… being able to stop him.”

Bucky went on to describe how he’d been under the control of Alexander Pierce for decades, was periodically taken out of cryo for missions, rewiped and then sent back to a frozen hell to await the next time The Asset… _the Winter Soldier_ … was needed.

“When Steve proved to be a credible threat Pierce ordered me to kill him.“

“Remember, my memories of my friend had been erased. I had no idea who he was or what we meant to each other in the past. He was just another assignment for me.”

“My team and I were dispatched to eliminate him and another who’d allied herself with his cause. I thought I’d killed her and turned my attention to hunting him down,” his eyes blazed at the memories of the battle on the causeway.

“She was a fighter though; came at me again and again and then disappeared. I hunted her through the streets… I eventually had her on the ropes when out of nowhere Steve charged at me with his shield.”

“We fought. Hard. I remember thinking about how strong this opponent was, how I’d never had anyone give me such adequate resistance before,” He shuddered at the thought of coming so close to ending his best friend’s life.

“Suddenly in the middle of the fight he just stopped and called out a name. It triggered something. I started to remember… but then we were separated again and I reported back to Pierce,” his eyes darkened at the memory.

“I was back with the scientists. They were repairing my arm and suddenly these flashes of Steve kept coming to me. His face. His voice. I remembered him reaching for me… just before I fell from the train.”

“I could see the faces of the men who originally gave me this arm,” he stared at it with such venom it scared her.

“I asked Pierce about Steve. Said he was familiar. What did Pierce do? Had me wiped again,” his eyes turned to steel.

“Getting wiped is a very… painful process,” he rubbed his eyes with his metal hand.

“The next time I saw Steve was the following day on one of the Helicarriers. We fought for a long time. Really beat the hell out of each other.”

“I-I stabbed him,” his voice cracked with emotion, “I shot him… several times. He just kept fighting, trying to complete his mission to disable the Helicarriers and save as many people as he could,” his voice took on a tone of reverence as he spoke about Steve.

“He finally succeeded and the aircrafts were destroyed. They fell one by one into the Potomac. One crashed into the Triskelion… that was SHIELD headquarters. Hydra’s as well, as it turned out,” he explained.

“We were still on one of the Helicarriers when it was hit by a series of explosions. I fell and was trapped under heavy debris. He could have escaped but he stayed.” Bucky’s expression was suddenly one of complete awe.

“He stayed and helped me get free… he tried to talk to me.”

“You have to understand! My head was a mess. I was torn between completing my mission and trying to stop the memories from overwhelming me. I lashed out at him. He just wanted to talk, to reach me and I refused to listen.”

“He said he was my friend…” eyes wet with tears he paused to take several deep breaths.

“I… I tackled him and hit him over and over and over,” his voice dropped to a whisper. “He refused to fight back. Said something to me that we used to say as kids when we promised to always be there for each other…”

“I’m with you ‘til the end of the line,” he quoted.

“That was the final trigger. I knew him. I remembered him. I was just about to pull him up when more debris fell onto us and he was knocked out of the Helicarrier and fell into the river below.”

“I jumped in after him, pulled him out and got him to shore.”

“I was too overwhelmed… with so many conflicting memories and emotions. I couldn’t handle seeing him or talking to him so I left. I made sure he was okay first and that he would be found safe before I took off.”

“Pierce really did a number on me. Convinced me that my mission was for the good of mankind and that I was helping to save people. Said Steve was the real enemy; that he worked for an evil organization.”

His voice took on a hard edge, “It was all just Hydra propaganda. The real threat was Pierce and everything he represented.”

“I was just a pawn. A weapon,” he seethed, “After Pierce was defeated and the Helicarriers destroyed I found myself completely cut off from Hydra.”

“After I’d helped Steve get to shore I had a choice to make. I could stay with him, return to Hydra or strike out on my own.”

“I couldn’t handle facing Steve so I… I decided to leave altogether. Take my chances in the outside world. I raided a Hydra safe house for supplies but after that I drifted.”

He took a deep breath, “I’d rather die than go back to being the Winter Soldier for Hydra.”

He stared into her eyes and she knew he was telling her the truth. All of it.

He was right. The Smithsonian archives barely scratched the surface.

The look in his eyes pleaded with her to believe him. He was desperate for her to understand him. To accept him. To love him.

She kissed his forehead. “You’re safe now,” she whispered as she peppered kisses on his eyelids. “Hydra will never touch you again.”

She kissed his mouth deeply and sank into his embrace. He pulled in deep ragged breaths and clung to her tightly and buried his face in her shoulder.

  
\----------

Bucky felt like an enormous weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He’d shared his darkest secrets with her, laid bare his deepest pain and she not only accepted him but she took him into her heart as well.

It was the first time in several decades that he finally felt connected to another human being. It felt amazing. It was painful but in a good way. He never realized how much he truly missed the gentle, kind touch of another person.

He’d gotten so used to being manhandled by Hydra and feared by everyone else that he’d forgotten what it was like to connect with another human being even on the most basic level.

He finally had someone to talk to, someone who would listen without judgment or fear. He finally had someone who cared about him, about his feelings, his experiences.

He finally had someone who truly knew everything about him and loved him anyway.

It was the best feeling in the world.

He stayed with her that night, and many nights after that.


	5. Coming Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky and Sophie take another step forward in their new relationship. It's not exactly smooth sailing.

They lay in the dark side by side in silence. Neither was asleep in her queen-size bed but neither knew what to say. Bucky had confessed his deepest secrets and Sophie had accepted him with open arms and yet each of them suddenly felt awkward now that the quiet night had enveloped them.

Bucky lay with both arms up and his hands clasped together behind his head. Anxious, he longed to reach out to her but wasn’t sure if she was ready. He wasn’t interested in sex (in his opinion it was too early in the relationship anyway) but he still yearned for her comforting touch.

Sophie lay curled up on her left side, her back to Bucky. Her eyes were wide but she kept her breathing slow. It was taking all her might not to roll over and wrap herself around Bucky’s chest but she wasn’t sure if he was okay with such a grand display.

Both wanted the same thing but didn’t know how to make it happen. Which was odd given the serious make out session they’d had in the living room a short while earlier. It was like both had been stricken with a serious case of shyness. Who was going to make the first move? How?

The window was open and a cool breeze swept into the room. Sophie shivered slightly and Bucky instinctively rolled over onto his left side and pulled her into a spoon position to warm her. Sophie inhaled sharply and Bucky tensed; then she let out a long contented sigh and let herself melt into the warmth of his chest. Bucky relaxed his right arm in a gentle protective grip around her midsection and lightly sniffed her soft, dark hair. It smelled like strawberries. Both of them smiled in the darkness and soon fell into a contented asleep.

\----------

The next morning was a beautiful sight despite the overcast sky visible through the open window. Sophie had awoken to find herself still locked in the comforting cage of Bucky’s arms and she felt a thrill of joy shoot through her. His muscular chest felt hot against her back and she could feel his breath on her shoulder. It tickled.

She gently rubbed the palm of her right hand along his flesh arm to get his attention.

“Hey,” she whispered as she rolled over to face him, “Good morning.”

He opened one piercing blue eye to look at her as he grinned. “Hey yourself,” he said and then shut both eyes tight as he stifled a yawn. She reached around and rested her left arm on his waist and traced circles on his lower back with her fingertips. She laughed as his long, dark hair fell over his face and he tried to blow it out of the way with exaggerated whooshes of breath. He laughed along with her and let her smooth the strands off his face so they could look at each other again.

He touched his index finger to her cupid’s bow and slowly leaned in for a soft peck on the lips. She let out a soft sigh as they shared a tender kiss. Bucky leaned in for a little more when she suddenly stopped him and leapt out of the bed and ran for the door.

“No way man!” she shrieked as she bolted for the bathroom.

He looked at her like she was nuts. “What the…?” he began.

“Not without brushing my teeth first. I don’t want you to ever kiss me when I have jungle mouth!”

Bucky fell back onto the bed in a fit of laughter and covered his face with her pillow. He didn’t see her stick her tongue out at him before she closed the bathroom door.

A few minutes later he heard the shower start up. He got out of bed and began doing some stretches and basic cardio to loosen up his muscles. He glanced out the window and saw his old perch. It seemed like a lifetime ago that he’d stood guard up there. So much had changed.

He quickly realized he needed to get back to where he’d stashed his belongings: his few extra clothes, notebooks, the weapons collection and the wad of stolen Hydra cash all needed to be retrieved.

He gently knocked on the bathroom door. “Hey Sophie?” he called out, “I need to go grab a few things. I’ll be back very soon.”

\----------

She heard his words and suddenly felt an irrational fear surge through her. He was leaving! _No stop that,_ she admonished herself, _he said he’d be right back._

“Uhh… okay. See you in a bit,” she called out. She couldn’t tell if he’d already gone. Saddened, she turned her attention back to caring for her not-forgotten head wound from when she’d fallen onto the metro tracks. “Ugh,” she grumbled, “Nice going Soph. You’re lucky you didn’t electrocute yourself. Dumbass. Ouch!” she yelped as she touched the tender edges as she tried to clean the area as much as possible.

Done with her shower fifteen minutes later Sophie stepped out of the tub, wrapped herself in a towel and stood staring at her reflection. Her soaking wet hair draped her damp shoulders, which still showed faint bruising on the one side that she’d landed on. She turned to look at her shoulder blade on the affected side and saw the bruising stretched slightly there as well. She squinted at her head wound in the flourescent light. It didn’t look as bad as it felt. She grabbed a couple of painkillers and quickly swallowed them without water; as she did so she heard a soft knock at the front door.

Still clad only in her towel she padded over to the door and peered though the peep hole. There stood Bucky looking a little sheepish. She opened the door and ushered him inside.

“Sorry,” he started, “I didn’t know it would automatically lock behind me,” he stood with his feet pigeon-toed and hugged a large, black duffel bag to his chest as he looked at her with large eyes.

Sophie could have sworn he was blushing.

“Oh I’m sorry! I should have thought of giving you this before you left,” she reached over to grab her keys from her purse, removed one from the ring and pressed it into his flesh palm.

He stared down at his hand. It was the key to her apartment.

“Are… are you sure about this?” he voice was close to cracking with emotion. He was stunned.

“Absolutely,” she assured him with a kiss on his nose.

He placed the duffel bag on the floor, pulled her into a bear hug and kissed her all over her face. She squealed as he tickled her neck with his lips, which caused him to light up the room with his dazzling smile.

He was happy. They were happy.

\----------

After he’d finished with his own morning shower routine they had settled at the kitchen table, each with a coffee mug in hand.

“I’d like to show you some things,” he said as he went to retrieve the duffel bag and set it down on one of the empty chairs. Curious, she cocked her head to the side and waited for him to begin.

“First off I just want to tell you that some of it can be a little scary… if you’re not used to such things,” he warned as he gently placed a hand on her forearm.

“Okay I understand,” she nodded.

He started out with some of the more basic items like clothes, notebooks, pencils. He pulled out a small black bag and set it aside but didn’t open it. She was curious but didn’t ask figuring he’d tell her if he wanted her to know.

He paused then. “Now these are the scarier ones,” he said quietly.

She watched as he removed several weapons from the bag, each one seemingly larger than the previous one. It was an impressive collection of knives and firearms.

“Don’t worry all the safeties are on I promise!” he exclaimed as she took in the wide array of guns now laid out on her kitchen table.

“Wow!” she breathed. She tentatively reached out to graze a blade with her fingertip when he grabbed her wrist. “It’s pretty sharp,” he said as he took it back and replaced it in its sheath. She nodded her understanding. All in all over three dozen deadly weapons, along with several boxes of a different types of ammunition, were on display in front of her.

She was at a loss for words. When he’d described how he’d been an assassin she’d understood it in a figurative way; now that the literal evidence was right in front of her it brought with it a whole new level of comprehension.

It dawned on her then that he’d just trusted her with a secret so raw, so deep, so traumatizing that, in sharing it with her he was in essence placing his life in her hands. He knew at any given time she could back out, run to the police, turn him in and head for the hills.

He was trusting her with his life.

This realization made her pulse race as her blood pressure skyrocketed. She felt woozy and gripped the sides of the table as if to steady herself on a rocking sailboat. “Sophie! Are you okay?” Bucky leapt to his feet and wrapped his arms around her.

She began to panic. She pushed his arms up and off her and jumped to her feet. She went to pace in the living room. “Give me a few minutes, please…” she called out.

Bucky sank back into his chair as he watched her retreat. “Oh God what did I do?” he whispered to himself as he stared down at the weapons cache with disgust.

\----------

Sophie tried taking several deep breaths to calm herself but it didn’t seem to work. She forced herself to stop pacing and sit cross-legged on the floor. Placing her wrists on her knees with her palms facing up she closed her eyes and willed herself to find a calmness from within. After several minutes she felt her blood pressure go down, her pulse slow and her breathing return to normal.

Relieved, she opened her eyes and looked up to see Bucky watching her with a mixture of sadness and fear on his face. She caught his glance and motioned for him to join her on the floor. He padded over, dropped into a position that mirrored hers and looked at her with pained eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

She took his hands in hers. “No, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I had such a visceral reaction. You were opening up to me and I… I freaked out. Bucky… Bucky I’m so sorry I upset you.”

He shook his head. “I shouldn’t have dumped all of that on you in one shot like that. I should have worked my way up to… up to…” he couldn’t finish his sentence.

She scooted up closer to him and cupped his face in both her hands. “It’s okay I promise. I just needed to process. It’s a lot of information to take in y’know?” she cocked her head to the side and grinned at him. They both looked up at the table where the weapons still lay.

“Yeah it is,” he breathed as he lowered his gaze again.

“Thank you,” she whispered. He looked up suddenly in shock at her words.

“What? Why are you thanking me for causing you to have a panic attack? If anything you should hate me,” he muttered.

“Stop it. Stop that right now. You listen to me Bucky Barnes,” she said in a deadly serious tone, “Don’t you ever say that I should hate you.

I can never hate you. I was just… overwhelmed by how immense all of this is… it’s a huge deal for you to share this with me. I was shocked that you’d trust me.

I would never, could never, hate you for trusting me with your secrets.”

 

He stared at her with wet eyes. Wordlessly, he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her lower lip.

She leaned in, wrapped her hands around the back of his neck and returned the kiss. After several moments they broke apart to come up for air.

She giggled and he let out a roar of laughter. The tension had finally broken.

\----------

Before they could have breakfast Bucky had to clear all the guns and knives off the table. He returned them to the duffel bag but seemed unhappy.

“What is it?” Sophie asked as she began to work on their omelets. She’d noticed his somber expression when he came back from putting the duffel in the hall closet.

“I’m not crazy about keeping them in that bag for the long term,” he scratched the back of his neck as he mused.

She understood. “Hmmm… well what do you suggest?”

“I need something stronger, something lockable. But also something that can be stored here,” he gestured to the apartment.

“Like a strongbox?” she suggested. His eyes lit up and he nodded. “That would be perfect!”

“Alright well I have an idea of where to get one real cheap. We can check it out after we eat,” she smiled as she worked at the stove.

Bucky got up and stood directly behind her as she cooked. “That smells amazing,” he murmured as he grazed her bare shoulder with his nose and wet lips. With his hands on her hips he pulled her close to him from behind.

“Behave yourself darling!” she laughed as she nudged him away. He flashed a dazzling smile at her before heading to the cabinet to get what he needed for setting the table.

After their meal she explained that there was a recycling depot a short bus ride from where she lived. “I’m sure we can find something decent there,” she said as she went to put on her sneakers and grab her bag.

Bucky hesitated, “I… I’m not used to this,” he said sheepishly.

“Not used to what?”

He looked flustered. “I’m not used to being around someone else. Someone who knows me, who wants to help me. I’ve been alone for so long…” his voice trailed off.

She wrapped her arms around him. “Well you better get used to it ‘cuz I’m not going anywhere,” she chirped.

He looked at her lovingly but then his expression turned serious as he examined her healing head wound. “Are you feeling any better? Does it still hurt a lot?”

“Ahh it’s not so bad, I promise. I took a couple of pills earlier and they’re helping. Come on, let’s get out of here,” she smiled as he let her pull him out the door. He grinned back.

Twenty minutes later they were waist deep in recycled electronics. Sophie looked around in annoyance. “Ugh so many towers and monitors! Where are the safes? The strong boxes?”

Bucky spotted something promising across the main floor. “Hey check that out!” he called to her as he started making his way over. Sure enough it was exactly what he needed. Two square feet of solid iron, the safe was stamped with a defunct bank logo.

The depot manager sauntered over to them. He was a tall, lanky man who was in desperate need of a decent shave. “How much do you want for this?” Sophie asked as Bucky studied the hinges and raised an eyebrow in approval.

“How much do you want to spend? That there’s a pretty old unit. They don’t make ‘em like that anymore. I can’t let it go for less than three hundred,” he said in a heavy French-Canadian accent.

“Three hundred! This is a recycling depot not the Antiques Roadshow!” she growled.

“You want it that’s the price. Otherwise there’s the exit!” he pointed to the door with his chin as his hands rested squarely on his sides.

She stared at the man through slitted eyes then turned to Bucky, “Honey let’s go we’ll find something better somewhere else.”

“No it’s okay I got this,” he whispered to her. He set the safe down on the table and opened up a wallet she’d not seen before. Pulling out a thick wad of cash he peeled off three one hundred dollar bills and pressed them firmly into the man’s thin hand.

“$300. Sold.” Bucky stated calmly as the man stared at him slack-jawed. (To be honest Sophie’s expression was not much different.)

“Did… did I say three hundred? I meant five hundred!” the man sputtered.

Bucky picked up the safe with one arm, the long-sleeved left one, and turned to stare daggers at the man, who shrank away from Bucky’s steely gaze.

“You said three hundred. A deal’s a deal. C’mon Sophie let’s go home,” he took her hand and turned to lead her silently out of the depot.

“How… how are you doing that?” the man croaked. “It’s too heavy to carry. You need a dolly for that. Wheel it out to your car…” his voice trembled in awe.

“It’s okay,” Bucky grinned back, “I work out. A lot.”

Sophie was speechless for more reason than one.

\----------

After they arrived back and Bucky set to work on filling the safe with his weapons collection Sophie finally found her voice again.

“Ummm… Bucky?” she started, she sounded very small.

He’d seen her shock back at the depot and had been waiting patiently for her to work out what she wanted to say, which is why he didn’t press for any meaningful conversation on the bus ride back.

He looked up at her from where he sat on the floor. The open safe was directly in front of him, the knives were all laid out on the floor to his left and guns and ammo boxes laid out to the right. It was almost a comical sight.

“Wh… where did all that money come from? It’s a… it looked… uhh… like a lot,” she stared down at her wringing hands.

He stopped what he was doing and went to sit next to her at the kitchen table.

“Hmm,” he started, “remember when I said I’d raided a Hydra safe house for supplies after leaving Steve at the side of the Potomac? I grabbed some clothes, food, most of these,” he pointed back at the weapons cache, “Well, before I left I busted open the safe and emptied it. I took all the money and as many valuables as I could find that I could sell or trade at a later time.”

She nodded wordlessly and stared at him with big eyes. “That makes sense,” she said after a few moments, “I guess I was just really taken by surprise.”

She seemed like she had more to say but hesitated. “What?” he whispered as he put an arm around her shoulders, “What’s on your mind hon?”

She shook her head and let out a nervous laugh. “Ugh no, you’ll just think I’m a dummy.”

He gently squeezed her shoulder, “I’d never, ever think that of you,” he assured her, “Now tell me what’s on your mind.”

Before she could answer they were interrupted by the ring of her cell phone. She disentangled herself from him and went to answer it.

“Hello? English please. Yes this is she,” she responded. Her eyes went wide and her face paled as she listened to the caller. Bucky saw her reaction and immediately jumped up and went straight to her side, fists instinctively flexing.

“Okay I undestand. Thank you for letting me know. Bye.” She pressed the End button and dropped the phone onto the couch.

“What? Sophie what is it?” Bucky’s anxiety grew with each passing moment.

“That was about Alex. He’s out. Out of the hospital and out on bail,” she stared up at him with a terrified expression. “He’s a free man.”

Bucky felt like his entire body had been set on fire. His rage almost spilled over but he needed to stay calm for Sophie’s sake. She needed him now more than ever.


	6. Lifeline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word of Alex's release leaves Bucky and Sophie on edge so they try to blow off a little steam. Mixed results is an understatement!

“Where is he now? Did they tell you?” Bucky asked quietly.

Sophie shook her head. “All they said was that it was a courtesy call to let me know he was out and that they were not at liberty to provide any further details.”

She felt as though all the air had been sucked out of her lungs.

“Hey! Hey come here. Come with me,” Bucky urged as he lead her to the living room couch. He grasped her hands tightly in his own as he did his best to comfort her. He cupped her jaw and kissed the tip of her nose.

Sophie relaxed a little as she leaned in close to his chest. She could hear his heartbeat and tried to match her breathing with his pulse. It seemed to help after a few moments.

She looked up at him and gave a half-smile. “I love that I have you by my side,” she whispered before she buried her face in his neck. He pulled her in close and kissed the top of her head. “I’d do anything for you Soph. Anything,” he murmured.

\----------

Later that evening they settled in to another TV show marathon as a way to try to distract themselves from the news of Alex’s release. Sophie was still jittery and Bucky’s resolve was solid as steel.

They were laying on the couch with Bucky spooning Sophie with his arms wrapped around her and a big fluffy comforter covered them both. She rested her arms over his and absentmindedly traced her fingertips along the grooves of the metal plates of his left wrist as they watched an episode of a family comedy/drama about a chatty small town mother and daughter who looked more like siblings than parent and child.

Sophie giggled. “I love Lorelai! I wish I had a mom like her.”

Bucky kissed her ear. “Yeah she’s pretty cool. What was your mother like? If you don’t mind me asking…”

Sophie shrugged and shifted in her spot. “I never really had much of a relationship with her. She still lives back in the small town I came from but we don’t talk much.”

“Why is that?” he asked as he interlaced his fingers with hers.

“Some stuff happened to me. She didn’t believe me. Said there’s no way it happened I had to be making it up.”

She released his hand and stood up quickly. “I don’t really want to talk about this anymore,” she stated. “Let’s get out of here.”

Bucky wanted to find out more but he respected her wish and didn’t ask. Instead, he let her guide him out the door and into the night.

\----------

“Is it okay if we talk about you for a while?” she asked him as they walked along the Lachine Canal. The sun had just finished setting and the full moon had risen. The moonlit glow on the rapids was gorgeous.

They slowed their pace as they approached the water. Bucky stared at the surface for a long time before answering.

“What would you like to know?” he replied softly.

“Whatever you’re comfortable talking about is good with me,” she whispered as she hugged his right arm. “Come, let’s sit down.” She guided him over to a nearby bench, settled into a spot and patted the seat next to her.

“Okay,” he smiled, “let me tell you a little bit of what I remember about Brooklyn.”

An hour later they were still on the same bench. Sophie was laughing and Bucky was grinning like a loon as he described one of the many adventures he’d had with Steve when they were kids in the old neighbourhood.

“That old cat was a pain in the ass,” he chuckled at the memory of the cranky tabby that ran right back up into the same tree that he and Steve had just rescued it from when they were nine and ten years old. “I swear it was mocking us!”

Sophie had to wipe tears from her eyes she’d been laughing so hard. “Oh my God! I hope you didn’t bother trying again!” she slapped a hand on his thigh and threw her head back as she laughed again.

“Steve wanted to but I refused. I said to let the little bastard stay up there if he loved it so damn much!” They both howled at that.

The smile on his face was dazzling. Sophie felt like she could stare at it for the rest of her life.

She glanced down at her watch. “Ugh it’s only ten o’clock. We have the whole night ahead of us but I don’t want to stay locked up inside at home,” she drummed her fingers on her lap and tried to come up with a plan.

“You’re sure you want to go out? I mean, with all that’s going on and what we found out about Alex?” He laid a hand on her knee to get her leg to stop bouncing.

She looked over at him and flashed a grin. “Absolutely. I don’t want that loser to dictate my life. Staying home to hide is probably exactly what he wants so why give it to him? I say we go out downtown! Really make a night of it!”

Bucky was a bit worried but he decided to follow her lead. “Alright. What exactly do you have in mind?”

She cocked an eyebrow at him and grinned like the devil.

“Uh oh!” he shrieked a laugh as she pulled him to his feet and took off running back to the apartment.

“Race ya!” she called out as she sprinted away. He shook his head. “Oh if only you knew how fast I could really go,” he muttered as he took off after her wearing a mischievious grin of his own.

\----------

Two hours later Bucky found himself in the darkest corner of a cheesy 80s and 90s music dance club on Crescent street. Sophie had decided she was in the mood to dance but also wanted to take a break from Boite Noir.

“Don’t get me wrong I love metal,” she shouted in his ear as they made their way past the bar, “but I also have a soft spot for old dance music too. This is one of my favourite songs!” She started moving to the beat of Groove is in the Heart by the 90s pop group Deee-Lite.

Bucky loved to watch her move. Everything about the way she danced was a treat for his eyes. Her long dark hair flowed behind her as she moved to the beat; her swaying hips mesmerized him. He was a little uncomfortable being in such a loud public place but he decided to just go with it. For her.

Her joy made it worth it.

“Do you want a beer?” he shouted in her direction. She nodded emphatically and he pointed to the bar across the main floor. “I’ll be right back!”

It took a while for him to move through the dense crowd but he finally managed to make his way over to the only empty seat near the bartender, where he waited for his turn to order. Just as he was about to ask for a pair of Stellas something in the mirror above the man’s head caught his eye. He saw someone familiar.

His blood ran cold.

\----------

Sophie was so caught up in the music she never saw him coming. As she swayed to the beat, eyes closed, she felt a pair of familiar hands rest on her shoulders and then slowly make their way down her back and then rest on her hips.

“Bucky…” she whispered.

It was only when she realized that both hands were flesh, and the left one was definitely not metal, that she knew she’d been played.

“Hello Sophie!” Alex growled as he gripped her painfully from behind. “Miss me sweetheart?” He grabbed a fistful of her hair with his left hand and forced his right hand down the front of her skirt.

“All that time we were together and you never gave it up to me,” he taunted, “Maybe that was our problem. You’re nothing but a cocktease!” He licked the back of her neck and laughed.

“Get the fuck OFF ME!” she hissed as she stomped on his right foot with her stiletto heel and rammed her elbow into his ribcage with a vicious blow.

As he yowled and stumbled back she spun around and landed a right hook straight into his jaw. Immediately upon contact her knuckles felt like they were on fire.

“You fucking bitch! I’m going to end you!”

Alex was about to lunge at her but he instead dropped to the floor in pain. Bucky stood right behind him staring daggers at his prone figure. Sophie had no idea what Bucky had done to him but she was grateful nonetheless.

The way Bucky stared down at Alex gave her pause. It was cold. Deadly. _Who am I looking right now?_ She thought, _Is it Bucky or is it the Winter Soldier?_

The loud shocked reaction of the crowd around them pulled her out of her train of thought. She carefully walked around the area where her ex-boyfriend still lay curled in a fetal position and approached Bucky cautiously.

“Bucky?” she called out softly.

He didn’t acknowledge her. Instead his eyes remained trained on Alex.

“Bucky!” she repeated, louder.

He shifted his gaze to her and for a moment she didn’t recognize him.

“Hey,” she cooed as she slowly moved in closer. “Hey it’s okay. I think you got him,” she offered a half smile.

Just as quickly as his eyes had turned to ice they melted again. He shook his head as if in an attempt to regain clarity.

“Sophie?”

“Yeah hon it’s me.”

A hint of confusion remained but his expression immediately became one of concern. “Your hand!” he exclaimed as he looked down and saw how swollen it had become since she’d socked Alex on the jaw only a few minutes earlier.

She looked down at her knuckles and for the first time she really saw how badly she’d been injured.

“Fuck me!” she muttered to herself, “Can’t I go one goddamn week without having to go to the fucking hospital?”

She looked up at Bucky and realized they needed to get as far away from that club as possible.

“Come on let’s get out of here!” she motioned for him to follow her as she started making her way to the exit. They were so focused on each other they never saw the man who’d pulled Alex to his feet and helped him over to the bar.

\----------

They once again found themselves at the emergency room.

“Sometimes I think you like pain,” he teased her.

She groaned and then laughed in spite of herself. It was good to see him getting back to himself… or at least the self that she was getting to know and falling in love with.

“I swear I’m not doing this on purpose!” she grumbled as she leaned her head on his weary shoulder. It was 2:30am and they were still awaiting her turn in triage.

“Aww baby I’m sorry. I shouldn’t tease you. If anything I owe you an apology,” he said gravely.

She remained silent as she knew what was coming.

“I should have never left you alone on the dance floor. I should have been paying better attention. I should have protected you…”

She sighed and took his hand in her uninjured one. “Don’t do that to yourself Bucky. It’s not your fault. We were trying to have a fun, normal date night like any other couple.

You shouldn’t feel like you have to be on guard duty when you’re out having fun. You deserve a chance to be a normal, regular guy out for an evening with his girl.”

He kissed the top of her head.

“The thing is… I’m not a normal, regular guy,” he drew in a deep, shaky breath.

I haven’t been for over seventy years.”

She looked up at him and was overwhelmed by the sadness she saw in his eyes.

“What can I do?” she whispered, “What can I say to help you? I’ll do anything Bucky. Anything!” she planted a trail of kisses along his jawline and, with her one good thumb, wiped away the single tear that fell from his eyes.

“You’re already doing it,” he whispered back just before he pulled her into a deep kiss.

They finally came up for air only after they’d been interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat uncomfortably. Embarrassed, they looked up to see a nurse holding a chart and trying not to stare.

“We’re ready for you. Follow me,” she stammered as she gestured for them to walk with her toward an exam room.

“Here we go again,” Sophie muttered as she got up from her seat. Bucky stayed at her side the entire time.

\----------

The next day they did their best to get back to a normal routine.

“I have classes today and a shift at Boite Noir at four. Think anyone’ll notice this?” she asked sarcastically as she raised her fractured hand that had been set in a cast at 5am. She’d just finished taking yet another prescribed painkiller.

Bucky smirked at her. “Nah I doubt it. They’ll be too distracted by that lovely gash on your noggin to notice your mangled claw.”

“Shut UP!” she shrieked as he howled with laughter. She fell back on her seat at the kitchen table in a fit of giggles. As a treat for her Bucky had gotten up early to make breakfast for them both and they were now nursing their coffees. She took the last bite of her omelet and gave him the side-eye.

“Thank you again for making this for me,” she chirped, “It’s a pretty decent attempt for an old man.”

His eyes widened. “You DID NOT just go there!” he roared as he leapt up and pulled her into a bear hug. She pretended to struggle as he pretended to hold her prisoner all the while both laughed hysterically.

When he finally released her from his iron grip he still kept his arms wrapped loosely around her waist. As he leaned against the edge of the table he opened his thick thighs and pulled her in between them up close to his bare chest.

“Stay home with me,” he said in a velvety voice. He traced a line down the front of her tank top with the tip of his nose and nuzzled her décolletage as he hooked his fingers into the belt loops of her jeans to pull her hips forward.

She moaned softly as his light touch sent a bolt of electricity throughout her body. His breathing deepened as he pulled her in even closer and buried his face between her breasts and began a series of kisses.

She ran her fingers through his long dark hair and then tipped his face up toward her own. She stared into his gorgeous blue eyes, kissed him deeply and then sighed.

“I’m sorry. I wish I could but I’ve already missed so much already,” she apologized as she stepped back out of his embrace. “If I miss any more I might lose the entire semester.”

Much to his disappointment she walked over to the front door, pulled on her boots and grabbed her bag. “Come meet me at Boite Noir tonight,” she called out, “take my dinner break with me.”

He nodded sadly and wordlessly watched her go. As the door locked behind her she felt terrible but knew it was the right thing to do.

\----------

As he listened to the bolt lock click into place Bucky’s mind went into overdrive. “Ugh! Nice going dumbass! Way to push too far too fast,” he grumbled.

There was something she wasn’t telling him. What could it be?

He decided to do a little research. _What harm could it do?_ He thought. He pulled out the laptop that he’d appropriated, _and left plenty of compensation for_ , he reasoned, from the university dorm room a lifetime ago and opened up a browser.

With the bits of information Sophie had given him he soon found himself perusing the official website of her hometown. It wasn’t much to speak of; the most interesting event he could find was the construction of a new gym at the local high school that was dedicated to a student who died his senior year a long time ago.

He clicked over to local newspapers and went through archived issues trying to find out anything significant. He found a few articles about the dead teenager; turned out he was the only son of the richest man in town. The way they talked about this kid he was practically a saint. Bucky rolled his eyes. No one’s that perfect.

_You sure about that?_ The voice whispered.

He shook his head violently and forced himself to stay focused on the task at hand.

He moved on to other sections but found nothing else worth his time or attention. He closed the browser and shut the computer off. He got up, stretched, did some cardio and several sets of sit ups and push ups on the hardwood floor of the living room.

Something kept nagging at him. He knew staying alone in the apartment wasn’t going to help the cabin fever that was setting in so he decided to venture out and explore the neighbourhood for a while. He had way too much energy stored up and so knew he wouldn’t be able to sit still for very long.

He pulled on a charcoal grey long-sleeved Henley shirt, swapped his pyjama bottoms for a pair of dark green cargo pants and pulled on his trusty Hydra-issue boots before slipping on a pair of thin leather gloves. He made sure he had the key Sophie had given him before he let the door shut behind him.

Outside he peered up at his old perch and once again recalled how he’d practically made a home for himself up there back before he had officially met Sophie. He grinned and shook his head at the memory before heading west.

He walked for several blocks with no real destination in mind. He wanted to find a place where he could relax and not feel pressure to think. The Hydra static was still there. Most of the time he could suppress it but sometimes it got loud. Really loud.

The usual low hum of that static became the stuff of nightmares when he put Alex out of commission at the dance club the previous night. He could vaguely recall how he’d slipped into his old military mindset when faced with a threat. He remembered staring down at the man on the floor and hearing Sophie call his name as if from a great distance.

Stopped at a red light, he looked up and found himself at an intersection. Across the way was a massive construction site with a huge sign nailed to the fence that announced “Nous Embauchons!” in huge red letters. Intrigued, he made his way over to the site foreman.

“What kind of experience do you have?” the man asked gruffly in a heavy French-Canadian accent as he gave Bucky the once over.

“I’m best at grunt work. Breaking stuff down. Hauling,” he looked up at the workers who were scaling the tall scaffolding. “I’m not a fan of heights.”

The foreman eyeballed Bucky’s leather gloves then pointed to a sledgehammer that had been left on a nearby workbench. “Those old concrete slabs over there need to be broken down to manageable pieces. If you’re gonna show me what you can do you’re gonna need better gear,” he grunted as he stared at Bucky’s covered hands.

“Got an extra pair?” Bucky asked as he pointed to the man’s own set of construction gloves. The foreman rolled his eyes and handed them over.

“Cover your head!” he shouted at Bucky as he turned toward the slabs. Bucky kicked up a yellow hard hat that lay near his feet and put it on. He turned back to grin at the foreman who frowned as he tossed a pair of safety goggles at his chest.

Fully prepared, he focused on the task at hand.

It turned out to be the most fun he’d had in a long time. The stress relief was amazing! It felt so freeing to use his full brute strength to break something and not have to feel bad about destroying it. He’d gone through two whole slabs before he realized the foreman was yelling at him to get his attention.

“Whoa whoa whoa! Hold on there my friend,” the man said with a stunned expression, “That was incredible! You say you’ve never done this kind of work before?”

Bucky shook his head. Best to supply minimal details about his past.

“Well if you want the job it’s yours. Come by tomorrow morning so we can get your paperwork done and get you officially started.”

Bucky’s face fell. Of course he’d have to sign an employment contract! He replaced the sledgehammer in a secure location, pulled off the goggles and hard hat and began to apologize.

“Look, thanks for the opportunity but I can’t do this,” he said as he turned around quickly to slip on his leather gloves before anyone could see his metal hand.

“What do you mean you can’t? You came to me! You showed me what you can do and now you’re just gonna walk? What’s the deal?” Instead of aggravated the foreman actually appeared concerned.

Suddenly a look of comprehension swept over his face. “Ahh wait I think I know. It’s the papers right? Signing up?” he rubbed the back of his neck as he scrutinized Bucky once again.

Bucky’s shoulders sagged.

“Alright listen,” the foreman dropped his voice to a low whisper as he leaned in close, “If we do this under the table there are strict rules. You won’t have benefits or insurance or anything like that so if you get hurt you’re on your own. I can pay you cash at the end of each day but it might not always be the same amount. Depends what I got on me. NO OVERTIME. You gotta come in on a regular basis. You’re a tough and strong guy and I think you’d be a decent addition to my crew. Think you can accept those terms?”

Bucky smiled and nodded. He was used to getting hurt and coming back from it. He certainly wouldn’t be doing it for the pay.

“Yes. Yes I can,” he replied as he took the foreman’s offered handshake.

“Good decision son! My name’s Maurice LaCroix. What do I call you?”

Bucky hesitated for a second. “James,” he offered, “call me James. No last name.”

“Okay James No Last Name. See you first thing tomorrow. 8am sharp. I’ll give you the gear you’ll need then.”

Bucky nodded and headed back off the construction site. He could barely contain his joy.

\----------  
Bucky arrived at Boite Noir promptly at 6:30pm right on time for Sophie’s dinner break. When he saw her his dazzling smile lit up the whole room.

“Babe!” she called out as he approached her station.

“Hey hon,” he said as he came around the side of the bar to pull her into his arms. He was thrilled to feel her melt into his embrace rather than push him away again as she’d done that morning.

“You look really happy! How was your day?” she asked.

He was just about to launch into his story about meeting Maurice at the construction site when they were approached by two strangers.

“Sophie Corbeau?” one of them asked as they both flashed police badges.

“Yes?” she replied, stunned at their appearance.

“I’m Detective Rivard, this is Detective Houde,” said the woman as she gestured to her male counterpart, “Mademoiselle Corbeau do you know a man named Alexandre DuMaurier?”

Dumbfounded, Sophie could only nod.

“When was the last time you saw or spoke with Monsieur DuMaurier?”

She flashed back to the scene on the dance floor. Was that really only last night?

“Wh… what is this about?” she asked the detectives.

“Answer the question Mme. Corbeau. When was the last time you saw or spoke with him?” Detective Houde demanded.

“Last night!” she answered quickly. Maybe too quickly. Both detectives narrowed their eyes at her.

“You need to come with us. We have some more questions for you,” Houde stepped forward but Bucky squared his shoulders and blocked his path.

Houde was unfazed. “Step aside sir,” he ordered, “This is official police business.”

Detective Rivard motioned for Sophie to come along. “As of right now we just want to interview you. You’re not a suspect at this time.”

“A suspect? What was the crime?!”

“Murder Mme. Corbeau,” Houde stared at her, “Alexandre DuMaurier was murdered last night.”

\----------


	7. Requiem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chaos ensues as new and old worlds collide when someone from Bucky's past shows up for some payback.

_“Alexandre DuMaurier was murdered last night.”_

 

“Murdered? What?!” Sophie’s voice came out strangled and hoarse. She gripped the edge of the bar tightly as she felt the room begin to spin. Bucky reached out to steady her while fully aware of how the two detectives stared at her like hungry lions.

“Like I said,” Detective Rivard stated through clenched teeth, “You need to come with us to answer some questions.”

Suddenly Shay was on the scene. “What’s going on here?” she demanded.

“And you are…?” Rivard said icily.

“My name is Shay Cameron and I own this joint. I asked you a question. WHAT is going on here?” she shot back, unfazed.

Rivard repeated what she had just told Sophie about Alex. “We want to interview Mademoiselle Corbeau about her relationship with the victim. She needs to come with us. I will not ask again.”

Shay stood her ground. “Is she under arrest?”

Rivard blinked. “No… no she is not. Not at this time anyway,” she hissed.

“Then she doesn’t have to go anywhere with you. If you want you can interview her in my office but there’s no way in hell she’s leaving these premises with you. I know what her rights are and you can’t force her to do anything.” Shay crossed her arms and squared her shoulders.

Rivard’s eyes narrowed and she was about to speak when Detective Houde stepped up. “That will be just fine Mrs. Cameron, we appreciate the courtesy. Can you show us the way?” Rivard stared daggers at her partner, who simply ignored her as he flashed a disarming grin at Shay.

“Of course,” she replied, “follow me. Oh and it’s Ms. Cameron. No need to use Mrs. as I never wanted to get hitched,” her voice trailed off as she led the two detectives toward her private office in the back. Rivard looked back to stare at Sophie, who took a step to catch up with the others.

Bucky held her arm. “I should be in there with you,” he whispered. She shook her head. “No, I can handle this. You need to stay out here. Better yet go home. I don’t want them looking too hard at you. If they figure out who you are they’ll come for you and I can’t let that happen.”

She kissed his cheek. “Go back to the apartment and wait for me there. I’ll be home soon. I promise.”

She hurried over to where Rivard was waiting and joined the others, leaving Bucky alone to stare at her retreating figure. Deep down he knew she was right but it didn’t mean he had to like it.

\----------

“So tell us about your last encounter with the victim Mademoiselle Corbeau. Where and when did you see him last?” Houde began the interview as soon as they’d settled into their seats.

“Please call me Sophie,” she said. Houde smiled and nodded while Rivard just rolled her eyes. The detective’s mouth was set in a grim line but she held her tongue.

“I saw him last night at a dance club on Crescent street.”

“Which club exactly?” Houde began to take notes.

“Electric Avenue,” she kept her voice steady, acutely aware of how hard Rivard stared at her with cold eyes.

“How did you hurt your hand?” Houde asked casually.

Sophie paused for a moment. Rivard’s lower lip curled into a slight sneer. “I punched Alex. Last night on the dance floor. He’d come up behind me,” she mimicked his movements as she described the encounter, “and grabbed me hard at the back of the neck and the down the front of my skirt.”

Shay cursed under her breath as both Houde and Rivard locked eyes on each other with a knowing glance.

“When I realized who it was I turned around and punched him in the jaw. I ended up busting my hand in the process.”

Houde furiously scribbled in his notepad as Rivard continued to question her. “What happened next?”

In her mind’s eye Sophie saw Bucky standing completely still and staring down at Alex as he writhed in agony on the floor, his face steel and lifeless.

“I… I kneed Alex in the nuts and he dropped to the floor,” she stated, “I left immediately and never looked back. The last time I saw him he was in pain but still very much alive.”

The two detectives remained silent for a few moments as Houde took some time to write everything down. Rivard stared at Sophie with a slightly less hostile gaze than before but still seemed agitated.

“We’ve seen the police reports about the incident in the alley. You fought off two assailants before Monsieur DuMaurier ended up with a knife in his chest.” Rivard said as casually as if she’d brought up the day’s weather forecast.

Sophie’s blood pressure spiked but she forced her breathing and her heart rate to normalize. “Is there a question in there somewhere?”

Rivard’s eyes narrowed. “I find it curious that wherever you go violence tends to follow, especially where Alex DuMaurier is concerned.”

Sophie took a deep breath. “If you’ve seen the reports then you know he was charged with stalking, uttering threats and attempted assault with a deadly weapon,” she locked eyes with the female detective, “I was defending myself against three men. I did what I had to do.”

“The knife,” Rivard countered, “it hit him with such force that the speed and distance was calculated to be from a much farther distance than from where you stood. The very end of the alley in fact. This leads us to believe that a fifth individual was there.”

“Who threw the knife Mademoiselle Corbeau? You had to have seen him.”

Sophie remained silent. Shay cleared her throat. Houde sat still with his pen hovering over a blank page in his notebook. Rivard sat coiled in her chair like a snake ready to strike.

Sophie looked Rivard square in the eye and said, “I never saw where the dagger came from. The only thing I was focused on was the gun Alex was pointing at me.

He threatened my life. Whomever it was that threw the knife saved me. I believe that one thousand percent.”

Houde’s eyebrows raised slightly as he wrote down her last comments. Rivard looked like she was going to spit nails. Sophie remained outwardly calm while inside she was screaming.

Several moments passed. It was Shay who finally broke the silence hanging over all of them. “Are we done here?” she demanded.

Houde finally looked up from his notebook but did not acknowledge her. Instead he focused on Sophie. “Who was with you at this dance club? You’re an attractive young woman surely you have someone in your life?”

“Excuse me!” Shay roared, “What does her personal life have to do with any of this?”

Houde glared back, “If Monsieur DuMaurier and another man came to blows over Mademoiselle Corbeau then it has everything to do with our investigation. Perhaps this new suitor followed DuMaurier after he left the club and finished him off?” He turned his attention back to Sophie. “I ask you again, are you seeing anyone new who may have confronted the victim?”

Sophie was conflicted. She couldn’t lie about Bucky but she needed to protect him at the same time. She decided to reveal as little as possible about him in order to placate the detectives.

“Yes, I do have a new boyfriend and no he did not follow Alex from the club. He was with me at the hospital when I went to the ER to have my hand looked at,” she raised her cast as proof. “We were at the Vic. You can follow up with the docs there.”

Houde made a final note in his book, nodded and said “We will.”

“We’re done here,” Shay announced. “If you want to talk to her again you can call this number. My cousin’s a lawyer,” she handed a worn business card to Detective Houde, who accepted it wordlessly and slipped it into his coat pocket. He got up and gestured to his partner to follow his lead. “Thank you for your time ladies. We’ll be in touch.” Rivard stalked out of the room and he followed her out.

As soon as the two detectives departed the room exploded with activity as Amanda, Basira and Henri burst into the office all asking several questions at once. Shay held up both hands to command the room.

“Everyone simmer down!” she ordered. An awkward silence followed as everyone turned to look at Sophie.

“Alex is dead?!” Basira whispered. Sophie nodded.

“They think you did it?!” Henri screeched. Sophie shrugged.

“You have a new boyfriend?!” Amanda chirped. The tension in the room broke and Sophie giggled.

Shay pulled her into a bear hug. “We’ll get you through this honey,” she promised, “We know you’re innocent.” The others murmured in agreement. She thanked them and extricated herself from her boss’s arms. “If it’s okay with you I think I’d like to cut out early,” she whispered. Shay nodded as Sophie went to hug her friends. “Take the rest of the night off. We’ll talk tomorrow.” As soon as she could Sophie sprinted toward the metro to get home to Bucky.

\----------

Just as Sophie reached the metro station doors she was pulled by the hand back into the nearby alley.

She was about to take a swing when she realized the hand that held hers was metal.

“Bucky!” she cried out, “What are you doing here? I thought you went home!”

He wrapped his huge arms around her and lifted her up in a sweet embrace. “I couldn’t leave you,” he whispered in her ear as he gently put her back down on the ground.

“So what happened? How did the interview go?” his face wore an expression of both worry and sadness as he kept his arms locked around her.

“Not too bad,” her voice shook slightly, “They asked about the confrontation with Alex, about how I hurt my hand and whether or not I had a new boyfriend who might have wanted to kick Alex’s ass.” She cocked a half-smile at him with that last line.

Bucky didn’t smile back.

“You do. I did. Want to I mean,” he clarified, “If I’d had the chance I would have finished him off.”

“But you didn’t,” she said as she cupped his jaw with her palm, “and I appreciate the sentiment but I’m really fucking glad you and he never went for Round Three.”

She took a deep breath and then kissed him. “Whoever hurt Alex and why… maybe we’ll never know their reasons. I feel terrible for what happened to him. Sure he was a real jerk in the end but he wasn’t always bad, you know?” A tear slipped from her eye and Bucky kissed it away.

“Come on,” he cooed, “let’s get out of here.”

Forty-five minutes later they walked through the apartment door. Time was relative; it seemed like both ages and minutes ago that they’d been laughing at the breakfast table over omelets and coffee.

“It seems like one drama or another these days, doesn’t it?” she observed wryly as she dropped her bag on the floor and flopped down onto the couch with an exasperated sigh.

Bucky sat down next to her. “Wanna hear something cool? It’ll take your mind off Alex for a bit.”

“Oh my god yes please!” she exclaimed.

“Well, I took a walk today and ended up at a construction site not far from here,” his face lit up as he told her the story of meeting LaCroix and taking the sledgehammer to the concrete slabs.

“…and so tomorrow when I go back he’ll let me sign up without actually signing up. The pay will probably suck but I’m telling you babe the way I felt when I was working for those few minutes… I felt free. It was such a release!” The joy on his face was priceless.

“That’s fantastic Bucky! I’m so happy for you!” she said as she hugged him. He beamed at her. They spent the rest of the evening watching Netflix and scarfing down comfort food. They were both worried about the detectives but neither said a word to the other.

\----------

A few days later Sophie was getting ready for her shift at the club. Bucky lay sprawled on her bed propped up on one elbow and watched her run around her room getting herself organized.

“How about I come by tonight and hang out at your station? I promise I’ll be good,” he winked at her.

Shay had a rule, no boyfriends at the bar, at least not jealous ones who would scare off any potential big tippers.

She made a face at him and he laughed.

“You know I would love it but Shay might be a tough sell,” she said. "It's one thing for you to drop by during the afternoon when it's slow but evenings can be crazy and she won't want me distracted."

“I’ll be quiet as a church mouse, I swear!” he held up his right hand and laid his left on her copy of Bram Stoker’s _Dracula_.

“Funny guy!” she teased as she walked over and put her hands on his neck and interlaced her fingers into his long hair as she pulled him in for a kiss.

“Come in around ten,” she breathed into his ear. “The music is always best around that time and the crowd should still be jovial.”

He murmured his assent and kissed her throat. He ran his hands up her thighs and rested them on her hips.

She leaned into him briefly and then pulled away. “Ahh I have to go but I sooo don’t want to…” she went out into the hall and pulled her boots on. He followed and escorted her to the door.

“Ten o’clock,” she said as she tapped her index finger lightly on his chest.

“Ten o’clock,” he repeated as he took her hand and kissed her palm.

She sighed, pulled him in for a deep kiss and disappeared down the hall.

Later that night, as promised, he arrived promptly at 10pm. He headed straight to where she was stationed at the bar at the far end of the club. He caught her eye and she flashed him a gorgeous smile. He sat down on a tall bar stool and ordered a Stella.

Within minutes Shay was at Sophie’s side eyeballing Bucky. Sophie pulled her aside and explained that he was not going to be a problem. Shay looked unconvinced but trusted Sophie’s word so she went back to her office after giving him one last hard look.

Sophie laughed as she shook her head. He smiled and understood. He remembered how protective Shay was when Alex had posed a threat. He appreciated her vigilance then, and now, so he had nothing but respect for her.

The music kicked into high gear as Metallica’s _Wherever I May Roam_ blasted out of the speakers and the crowd began to thrash on the dance floor. When the chorus played everyone jumped in tandem to the heavy beats.

Sophie moved along to the music as she served up a series of drinks. She looked over at Bucky from time to time to make sure he was having a good time.

The next song to come up was a special request: _Closer_ by Nine Inch Nails. It wasn’t your typical metal song but Shay loved them so therefore their songs were often played at the club.

The pulsating beat and saucy lyrics definitely had an effect on the crowd. She blushed during the chorus when she caught Bucky looking at her with a sly grin. She smiled at him but looked away quickly.

She was distracted by a group of guys who all tried to order their drinks at once so she didn’t see when the young blonde first approached Bucky.

She was slender, wore sheer black yoga pants with a long KISS t-shirt over it and teetered in black high-heeled boots. Her blonde hair was long and wispy, her lips a deep red and her blue eyes were rimmed in black. She leaned in close to where Bucky was perched and asked him something. He shook his head and tried put some distance between them.

Sophie watched as the girl pursued him. Normally she was not the jealous type but seeing this girl be so aggressive with Bucky lit a fire in her belly. When she saw the girl touch his chest suggestively she’d had enough. She slammed down the empty shot glass she was holding, left her station, walked over to where he sat and put an arm around his shoulders.

She stared down the blonde then turned to Bucky.

“Hi honey,” she cooed and she planted a kiss on his mouth. He put his gloved hands on her hips and pulled her close to him as he returned her kiss. Then she turned around, stood between his legs and leaned back into his chest as she rested her hands on his muscular thighs.

The girl, who was either drunk or high or just plain stupid, threw shade at her.

“Excuse me bitch!” she drawled, “I was talking to him first!”

Sophie stifled a laugh as Bucky grinned and planted a kiss in her hair just above her right ear.

“You need to move on,” Sophie stated, “He’s already spoken for.”

The girl obviously felt challenged. “Oh really?” she snarled.

“Yes. Really!” Sophie growled back as she got up from Bucky’s lap and stood squarely in front of the girl.

Her blue eyes widened but she still didn’t back down. She pulled her hand back as if to strike Sophie in the face but was pathetically slow. Sophie grabbed her wrist and twisted it in a downward motion, forcing the blonde to her knees.

The crowd around them gasped as she yelped in pain and begged to be set free but Sophie refused to release her.

“He’s MINE!” she growled in the girl’s face as she increased the intensity of the hold.

Shay rushed up to separate them and yelled at Sophie to stop what she was doing. After several moments she finally let go of the girl’s wrist and slowly straightened up, not taking her eyes off the blonde for a second as she casually settled back into her original position between Bucky’s legs. He leaned forward, put his arms around her waist, interlocked them possessively and rested his chin on her shoulder.

Shay helped the girl up and ordered her to leave the club. Her two friends rushed over and pulled her away toward the exit.

Sophie watched the girl, unblinking, until she was out of sight then looked back at Shay, who was staring at her as if she were a stranger.

“What’s gotten into you Sophie?” she asked.

“Nothing,” she said as she shook her head. “She crossed a line. Girl just needed to be taught a lesson in respect, that’s all.”

Shay backed away wordlessly and disappeared into the crowd. Sophie turned around to face Bucky and saw a mixture of emotions on his face: pride, awe and a hint of lust to name a few.

“Wow!” he said as he pulled her in close, “I’ve never had a woman get territorial about me like that!” He smiled and kissed her mouth deeply.

She let herself fall into the kiss before coming up for air to let out a huge sigh. “Was that too much?” she asked shyly, suddenly painfully aware of the display she just put on in front of the entire club. People were still looking over at them curiously.

“It was perfect,” he breathed into her ear.

She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tightly before she returned to her station and resumed tending bar. He stayed until the end of her shift and they walked to the metro together afterward.

\----------

Bucky was floored. He was telling the truth when he said he’s never been the subject of such a display of dominance for territory before. It felt amazing.

When the blonde woman first approached him he thought nothing of it. He’d been scrutinized and propositioned by the opposite sex plenty of times before, even a few times by the same sex. While it never held any appeal, it never bothered him either when others hit on him, tried to chat him up.

This time was different. He had someone in his life that he cared for so he was not interested in engaging in flirtation with anyone else.

When the blonde touched him he recoiled but didn’t want to be too aggressive in his refusal so he remained cool in the hopes that she’d get the message that he wasn’t interested.

Suddenly Sophie was there and she was confronting the blonde in such an aggressively territorial way that it excited him. When she twisted the blonde’s wrist and forced her to kneel it made his blood run hot in his veins.

Sophie was incredible.

And she was his.

He wanted nothing more than to grab her hand and drag her away somewhere private and kiss her all over her body but he knew that wouldn’t go over well in such a public setting so he settled on tightly gripping her from behind in his own show of territorial pleasure and dominance.

When it was all over and the blonde had left with her friends he felt such a sense of pride. Sophie had shown how much she cared for him and it made his heart ache. He couldn’t wait to get her alone.

The trip back to the apartment seemed to take forever. When they finally arrived he was hoping she’d invite him to her bed but, sadly, she didn’t. He was disappointed but respected her wish.

\----------

Sophie lay wide-awake as she replayed the confrontation with the blonde in her mind over and over again. What had gotten into her? She’d never been aggressive like that before, with anyone. Well, Alex and those other assholes that night in the alley yeah… but at the bar? She was always the one who kept her cool when things got too hot among the customers.

That night though... everything had changed.

Bucky was her everything. Someone else had put her hands on him. There was no way she was going to let that trespass go unanswered.

She looked over at the clock on her bedside table. 2:20am. She listened for any sound from the other side of the apartment. Nothing.

She got up and walked over to the bedroom door and peeked out. She padded down the hall and slowly entered the living room.

“Bucky? Are you awake?”

He got up from the couch immediately. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” he asked as he moved toward her, concern written all over his face.

He was shirtless and wore only a pair of loose-fitting pajama pants that hung low on his hips. His long dark hair was mussed but his sky blue eyes were alert. The metal of his left arm gleamed in the low light.

He was breathtaking.

“N-nothing’s wrong… I’m fine… I just… well, I couldn’t sleep so I thought maybe…” she stammered, suddenly feeling foolish.

“Maybe what?” his eyes twinkled as he looked at her.

“Maybe we could… I don’t know… talk? Watch TV or something?”

“Or something…” he murmured as he traced a finger along her collarbone.

She shivered at his touch. She moved closer to him and ran her fingertips along his jaw line, down his throat and over his chest. His breath caught as her nails trailed lines over his pecs and abdominal muscles. He pulled her close for a series of deep kisses.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and melted into him. He pulled her backward as they sank into the couch with her straddling his lap. They kissed and licked each other’s necks hungrily. He nipped at the delicate skin at the base of her throat and she moaned in response. Encouraged, he slid his hands down to her lower back and pulled her hips toward his pelvis.

She froze. He stopped and looked up at her face. “Sweetie what’s wrong?” he asked her softly.

She shook her head and slid off his lap and then covered herself with the comforter he slept on the couch with.

“I… I don’t… I mean I can’t…” she covered her face with her hands.

He slid to the floor and kneeled in front of her.

“Hey…” he cooed, “whatever it is, I’ll do whatever I can to help you feel better. You can tell me anything you know that…” he whispered as he took her hands in his own.

She breathed deeply. “I have… issues… when it comes to… sex,” she confessed.

He was desperate to know if Alex had ever forced himself on her.

“Did Alex hurt you?” he asked gently.

She shook her head, “No. He was actually a gentleman about that, believe it or not. He and I never slept together while we dated.”

She took a deep breath and continued, “When I was fifteen I had my first boyfriend. We had a lot of fun together and I really liked him. One night we were hanging out at a friend’s place and we were… you know… making out.”

He listened patiently, fearing what was coming.

“Ummm… I wasn’t ready for… going all the way. So when I asked him to stop he refused and… forced me to go along with it.”

Bucky’s body was perfectly still as he braced for her to say the actual words.

“He raped me,” she whispered, “twice. Hit me too. Told me I asked for it. Called me a tease. Said I deserved it for stringing him along.”

Tears spilled down her cheeks as she recounted the events.

He got up to sit next to her on the couch, pulled her into his arms and held her as she cried deep body-wracking sobs.

“It’s been years,” she sniffed, “and sometimes it feels like it just happened.” He wiped her tears away with his metal fingertips. It broke his heart to see her in such pain.

She took deep breaths. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…” she said as she touched his face.

“What? Why are you apologizing to me?” he asked, shocked.

She shrugged weakly. “Because I… I don’t want to string you along. I want to be with you… so much… but…” she began to cry again.

He held her in his arms and rocked her. “Oh baby you don’t have to be sorry. I’m in no rush. I’ll wait for you as long as it takes,” he stroked her hair as he whispered to her.

She looked up at him. “You will?” she asked.

He kissed her fingertips, “As long as you need.”

“But why?” she asked, dumbfounded.

He held his breath and then blurted out “Because I love you.”

He stilled again as he waited for her reaction.

“Oh wow…” she breathed then said, “I love you, too,” as she hugged him tightly.

Then she pulled back and said, “James Buchanan Barnes where have you been all my life?”

He cocked an eyebrow and chuckled. “I don’t know. In a freezer somewhere I guess...”

She looked at him in shock but laughed when she saw the grin on his face. “You’re bad!” she squeaked as she swatted him playfully.

“Anything to put a smile back on your beautiful face,” he whispered.

She once again returned to bed, only with one important difference. She’d invited him to join her.

No sex, just sleep, they’d agreed.

True to his word, he spent the rest of the night just holding her in his arms as she slept peacefully on his chest.

\----------

A week later another Saturday evening shift was upon them. Bucky planned to park himself at her station and soak in the music as she worked the bar. He was really beginning to enjoy the atmosphere and the heavy metal and hard rock that blasted from the speakers.

Tonight was special as a Led Zeppelin cover band was scheduled to do two sets and he was looking forward to seeing if they could really pull off the tribute. He’d become enamored with classic rock and Led Zep was at the top of his list of new favourites.

The band had just finished their first set and he turned back in his seat to get Sophie’s attention when he froze. Directly across the bar was a man from his past. Yuri Kurylenko was an old KGB comrade. And he was chatting up Sophie!

Bucky’s blood ran cold. His gut instinct was to go over to Yuri, drag him out of the bar and put a bullet in his skull for the cardinal sin of engaging her in conversation. Instead he forced himself to remain calm as he casually walked over to where the man sat at her station and plastered a fake smile on his face as he greeted them.

Kurylenko was in his mid-fifties and very fit. A formidable six feet five inches tall, he had dark, weathered skin and steel gray eyes. His salt and pepper hair was cropped military-style.

“Hey babe!” she smiled as she leaned over the bar to plant a smooch on his lips. He allowed for the kiss but kept his eye on Yuri, who took in the sight of their liplock with a strange combination of thinly veiled disgust and eerie pleasure on his face.

“Hey sweetheart how’s the night going so far?” he asked, trying to keep his voice light as he stared daggers at Yuri.

She sighed, “So far not too good, but then Jerry here showed up and voila! Made double the usual take for one night!” She smiled a thank you at the man who pretended to innocently nurse a scotch and soda.

Bucky studied Yuri. What game was he playing? He knew the man from years ago when they both worked for the KGB, knew it was not his nature to casually hang out in bars chatting up the staff. There was a reason he’d chosen Sophie’s station. Deep in his gut he knew what that reason was.

Yuri was gunning for him and using Sophie as leverage.

She’d moved on down toward the middle of the bar, out of earshot, to serve a group of revelers. Bucky immediately turned to Yuri. “What the fuck are you doing here Kurylenko?” he growled in Russian.

“Aww is that any way to greet an old friend?” the Soviet replied coolly as he fingered the rim of his scotch glass.

“Answer me!” Bucky hissed.

Yuri looked on as Sophie prepared several tequila shots for the crowd in front of her. “She’s lovely,” he said in Russian. “It’d be a shame for that pretty face to get cut up.”

Bucky grabbed Yuri by the throat with his metal hand and squeezed hard, then quickly released him before anyone saw.

“Don’t. You. Fucking. Dare. Threaten. Her.” He snarled through gritted teeth.

Kurylenko coughed and then laughed, “I was merely complimenting her beauty. In fact,” he grinned, “you should be grateful to me for the gift I gave to her. I cleaned up the mess that you couldn’t.”

Bucky stared at him in shock when the realization hit him. “You killed Alex DuMaurier? Why?”

“He was problem. I fix problems or don’t you remember?” Yuri stared at him with cold eyes. You’ve gotten soft… Soldier.” He emphasized the last word with vicious contempt.

“I’m NOT the Winter Soldier anymore!” Bucky growled.

“Clearly!” the Soviet sneered with disgust.

Just as the two men were about to argue further Sophie returned to their company.

“Everything okay here?” she asked, picking up on the tension between them.

“It’s fine,” the Soviet said in a perfect American accent as he got up from his seat. “I was just about to head out. It was lovely to meet you Sophie. I hope to see you again soon.” He stared at Bucky as he spoke the last sentence.

The two of them watched as the ghost from Bucky’s past disappeared out the main door. He felt the urge to go after him but he resisted and instead stayed rooted to the spot. He refused to leave Sophie’s side for the rest of the night.

\----------

She could tell he was rattled but didn’t press the issue. Whatever was going on, he’d let her in on it when he was ready. Still, it saddened her a bit to see him upset. Her instinct told her it was something that ran deep so she didn’t pry.

The rest of the night was uneventful except for the fact that Bucky completely ignored the band during their second set despite being so excited to see them play that he’d talked about it for weeks prior to their gig at Boite Noir.

At the end of the night he was especially tense on the trip home. He constantly surveyed their surroundings and didn’t seem to relax until they’d reached the apartment and he locked the deadbolt behind them.

“Babe are you all right?” she asked as she hung up their jackets.

He nodded as he went over to the balcony window and studied the streets below and the rooftops above before shutting it tight and pulling the curtain closed. He moved on to the kitchen window and repeated his actions.

“I’m fine I just want to make sure everything’s secure,” he said as he hugged her and gave her a peck on the cheek before disappearing into the bedroom to check on the windows there.

Unsure, she decided to trust her gut and let it go.

He’d tell her if it was serious, right?

\----------

The following Monday was the beginning of the final week of classes in her current semester at her art school. Sophie was excited but nervous as she’d been both anticipating and dreading it at the same time. The school’s administration had sent out a bulletin to all the qualifying students that their submissions to the final gallery art show were due by Wednesday and she hadn’t decided on what piece she wanted to contribute to the collection.

Still on edge after their encounter with Yuri, Bucky insisted on accompanying her to school that day.

“It’s your last week,” he explained when she asked why he wanted to go along, “I just want to see you enjoy your time there before things get hectic.” She gave in and pulled him into a bear hug.

He seemed to hang on for dear life.

As her clung to her he let his mind wander back to the beginning of their relationship. Not long after he moved in he had asked her about the painting she’d made of him. The one that he saw in her bedroom the night they first officially met where she portayed him as a guardian angel. She went to retrieve the canvas from the closet and they’d sat on her bed side by side to study it together.

“I can’t tell you how stunned I was when I first saw this,” he said as he gazed upon his own visage looking up at him.

“Do you like it?” she asked.

“I love it! You’re such a talented artist,” he kissed her shoulder.

She smiled up at him. “I painted it after I had a dream about you.”

“I dreamed that you were a dark angel watching over me. It was the night that Alex and his goons attacked me in the alley. You had appeared out of nowhere and stopped him from finishing what they started.”

She looked up and gazed into his eyes. “It really left a mark on me.”

“Of course,” she said, as her face reddened, “I thought your arm was part of the dream, like the wings. At the time I had no clue it was real.” She lightly grazed his metal wrist with her fingertips.

He took a deep breath. “How could you have possibly known?” then he kissed her.

He then confessed that he had been watching her from the opposite rooftop that night that she’d dreamed of him. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” he said as he wrapped his flesh arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

“I know,” she said softly. She looked at him again and he kissed her on the nose.

Bucky pulled himself back into the present and remained vigilant against any impending move by Yuri. The trip downtown was uneventful as he never caught sight of anything unusual so he began to breathe a little better. If the Soviet really was planning to hurt Sophie Bucky knew he was going to put him in the ground.

“Meet me back here at noon and we’ll grab lunch at Nickel’s, okay?” she said as she planted a kiss on his cheek. He nodded and pulled her in for a smooch on her lips. She sighed into his mouth then laughed, “I have to go!”

He watched as she sprinted off to class, her art supply bag bouncing off her shoulder as she caught up with her friend Erin. He’d never actually met her but Sophie had told him plenty of stories about the young woman that he knew he could trust her.

Satisfied that she would be safe for the next few hours, he took a walk over to the school’s art gallery to watch as preparations for the show were being implemented. Tables, chairs, a cash bar and a small sound stage were being erected on one end and a series of temporary walls, to create several surfaces where the students’ paintings would hang, were going up on the opposite side.

Just then his senses went into overdrive. He could feel Yuri’s presence. He didn’t see him yet but his years of successfully tracking and taking out prey made his gut instinct undeniable.

Then he saw the KGB assassin as he stood in the opposite doorway to the gallery staring straight at him. His face was a complete mask that gave away no sign of his motives but Bucky knew better.

Once this was all over only one of them was going to walk away alive.

He stared back at Yuri. Then they both slowly turned and walked casually over to the main doorway of the school. Bucky opened the door and let Yuri pass through first. The Soviet stifled a laugh at Bucky’s attempted show of normalcy.

Finally they were facing each other on Sherbrooke Street. Bucky stared at Yuri while the Soviet pretended to brush invisible lint off his coat.

“So,” Bucky began, switching to Russian as if on autopilot, “Are you going to tell me what the hell you’re doing here or am I going to have to beat it out of you?”

“Aww,” Yuri replied in English with a heavy Russian accent, ”don’t be so dramatic my old friend!”

Bucky took a step closer to the Soviet.

“I’m not kidding Kurylenko. Tell me what business you have here. Now!”

The other man let out an exaggerated sigh. “If you must know I was on assignment, which I completed on Saturday afternoon.”

Bucky studied him. “You usually skip out of town once a job’s done. Why were you at the bar that night?”

It was Yuri’s turn to study Bucky. “Are you kidding me? You honestly don’t know why?”

Bucky’s patience began to wear thin. “Spit it out Yuri!”

The Soviet laughed, “You, my friend, are a wanted man. Did you really think you could just walk away from Hydra and there would be no repercussions?”

Bucky steeled himself. “I don’t care about Hydra,” he growled. “I have a life here and I’m not about to give it up.”

“A life?” Yuri spat, “What life? You think you can set yourself up in a pseudo-domestic situation with a sweet little cupcake like that girl in there,” he pointed at the art school’s doorway, “and that would be the end of it?”

The Soviet shook his head, “Dream on!” he sneered.

It took all of Bucky’s focused determination not to grab the other man by the throat and choke him out right then and there.

Yuri continued to talk as though they were just a normal pair of friends catching up on old times. “She’s pretty, I’ll give you that. But she’s making you soft, Soldier.”

Bucky glared at him.

“Come on!” Yuri laughed, “You can’t deny you’ve gotten sloppy! How else can you explain how easily I caught your scent?”

“You used to be a one-man army,” the Soviet continued, “You were a fucking walking arsenal. Now you’re playing puppy dog boyfriend to some chick in combat boots and a leather jacket? You’re not the man you used to be. Hell you’re not a man at all.”

Bucky refused to take the bait. “I don’t give a fuck what you think Yuri. Get the hell out of Montreal or so help me I will bury you here.”

Kurylenko just rolled his eyes. “Oh please! Give me a break Soldier. You and I both know how this is going to end: you’re coming with me.”

“The only difference,” he hissed, “is whether or not your girlfriend is still in one piece when I haul your ass back to Hydra.”

Bucky paled slightly.

“Choice is yours. Meet me here tomorrow night at midnight,” Yuri held out a folded piece of paper, “and we’ll leave together from there.”

Bucky wordlessly took the note but never took his eyes off the other man.

“Do you want her to live or do you want her to die?” the Soviet asked bluntly. “Come with me willingly and I won’t touch a hair on her pretty little head. Resist… and I will gut her.”

He leaned in close and let out a hiss that chilled Bucky to the bone.

“Hail Hydra.”

Then the Soviet turned on his heel and walked away.

Bucky stood rooted to the spot as he watched his former comrade casually walk down the street and disappear into the crowd.

He knew what he had to do. He had to protect Sophie at all costs, even if that meant turning off his humanity and becoming the Winter Soldier once again… for a short time.

One thing was certain. Yuri Kurylenko was a dead man.

\----------


	8. These Living Arms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fallout of Bucky's confrontation with his former comrade forces him to make a sacrifice.

Bucky remained completely still as he stared after the Soviet’s retreating figure. His breathing intensified as he went over Yuri’s words in his mind:

_You and I both know how this is going to end: you’re coming with me._

_The only difference is whether or not your girlfriend is still in one piece when I haul your ass back to Hydra._

_Choice is yours. Meet me here tomorrow night at midnight and we’ll leave together from there._

_Do you want her to live or do you want her to die? Come with me willingly and I won’t touch a hair on her pretty little head._

_Resist… and I will gut her._

His first instinct had been to wrap his metal hand around the Soviet’s throat and squeeze until all life had left the other man’s body. Logically he knew the best course of action was to not draw any further attention on the crowded street so he instead chose not to pursue his enemy. Yet.

Bucky stared over at the spot where Yuri had blended into the crowd of shoppers and museum goers. The Soviet was gone but not for long. He’d return soon and when he did Bucky knew he had to be ready for him.

Thirty-six hours. That’s all the time he had left with Sophie before he was going to face off with Yuri. He agonized over whether or not to tell her about his planned meeting with his former comrade; if he came clean with her she’d be devastated. Terrified. However, if he remained silent he’d be able to savour these last hours with her in blissful ignorance of the darkness that would eventually come for them.

“Don’t be an asshole!” he chastised himself. He knew he could never lie to her and any secret he kept from her was, to him, a lie. A sin of omission. Could he really let her go on thinking that nothing was wrong?

No. He couldn’t.

He slowly walked back over to the school and sat on a bench not far from the main doorway. It was still a couple of hours before they were going to meet for lunch and he wanted to start mapping out his strategy against Yuri but he also didn’t want to leave the premises in case his enemy returned to set a trap for Sophie. It was a classic move out of the Soviet’s playbook so Bucky did what Hydra had trained him to do – he went into sentry mode and waited.

Two hours later Sophie appeared before him and life returned to his eyes as soon as he saw her.

“Hey!” she called out from the doorway as she waved to him. He got up and quickly strode over to her.

“Hey yourself!” he said with a cheerful tone he didn’t quite feel. Yuri was never far from his thoughts and he constantly scanned the faces around him; even in that moment as he pulled her into a hug and gave her a gentle squeeze he covertly surveyed everyone in their vicinity.

Directly behind her he saw Erin. “Hon I hope you don’t mind but I invited Erin to join us for lunch. That cool with you?” she smiled as she held her arm out to her friend, who interlinked hers with Sophie’s as she looked up at Bucky expectantly.

“Uhh… yeah sure! That’d be great. Hi Erin, it’s good to finally officially meet you,” he said as he held out his hand. She took it enthusiastically and pumped it. “Same!” she chirped. Bright-eyed, she gave Sophie a mischievous grin.

“I KNEW IT!” she yelped at she playfully punched Sophie on the arm.

“What?! What did you know?” Sophie said grumpily as she rubbed the spot when Erin’s fist had made contact.

“The painting!” Erin squealed.

Suddenly Sophie froze. _Of course! The painting of Bucky!_ She’d shown it to Erin ages ago yet had never told him that anyone else had seen it besides him.

Bucky looked over at Sophie, confused but also thankful for the distraction from thoughts of Yuri.

“Soph what is she talking about?” he asked softly.

It was Erin who spoke up first, “I almost didn’t recognize you without your wings!” she laughed. “Hey can I see your metal arm?”

Bucky’s heart rate exploded.

“Erin! Knock it off you’re freaking him out!” Sophie moved to place herself directly in front of Bucky as if to shield him.

“I’m just kidding!” Erin teased as she scrutinized Bucky’s left arm and eyeballed his leather gloves, “I know it’s not really metal.” She squinted as she adjusted her backpack on her shoulders. “That painting was just so well done it’s easy to believe that he’d have a real metal prosthetic.”

Bucky relaxed again. She was referring to the artwork Sophie’d done the first time she’d become somewhat aware of his presence on the opposite rooftop. He just hadn’t realized she’d shown it to anyone besides him.

Sophie cleared her throat again nervously.

“You okay Soph? You sound like you might be coming down with something. Here take one of these.” Erin produced a roll of cough drops from her jacket pocket and handed it to her friend. She took one and popped it into her mouth.

“Just a cold I guess,” she squeaked, deeply aware of the intensity coming off Bucky in waves behind her.

“Hmm… alrighty then,” Erin grinned as she stepped back from the pair. She pulled a hair tie from her bag and put her long golden hair up in a messy bun.

Before Erin could say another word Sophie exclaimed loudly, “God I’m hungry! Let’s get some grub.” She placed herself between Bucky and Erin, took a hand of each into one of her own and then marched purposefully down the street toward Nickel’s with them in tow.

\----------

Forty minutes later they were buried in deep dish pizza and cokes. Bucky kept up with the women’s conversation as much as possible while he covertly scanned the area time and again. He glanced back over to the stairwell leading to the washrooms for the tenth time when he caught sight of Sophie looking at him quizzically.

“So that’s when I knew that I wanted to submit my watercolour portrait of my fennec foxes to the graduation exhibit. I just felt like it was the better choice since landscapes are so over-represented these days. It just felt like kismet, you know?” Erin had been explaining to them how she’d felt seeing a random photo of a fennec fox in a magazine was a sign telling her which artwork to choose for the show as she was still stumped only days away from the opening.

Sophie smiled at her best friend, “Ahh yes! Let Fate decide!” she said as she picked a mushroom off the top of her pizza slice and popped it into her mouth.

“Exactly!” Erin laughed.

Sophie sensed something was amiss with Bucky but she didn’t want to bring it up in front of Erin. Whatever it was, she knew it was best kept between just the two of them.

“I gotta hit the ladies room. Be right back,” Erin grunted as she scootched across the vinyl booth bench to get up. Bucky immediately got to his feet as she passed.

“Such a gentleman!” Erin giggled as she zipped around him. He flashed her a charming grin and she blushed.

“My god Bucky it’s like you’re from another era standing up like that. No guy has ever done that for me before!” she gushed at him as she winked at Sophie. “I think this one’s a keeper,” she said as she gave her friend a thumbs up. Sophie giggled and nodded. “Honey you have no idea!”

Bucky sat back down next to Sophie as Erin disappeared down the stairwell. They sat in silence for a few moments before either one could think of a way to break the sudden tension that crept up beween them.

“So,” she said after a minute, “there seems to be something heavy weighing on your mind. Do you feel like talking about it?” she didn’t look at him directly but instead gently laid a hand on his arm as she waited for him to respond.

Another minute passed before he spoke. “You’re right. There is something we need to talk about but not here. Not now. Tonight okay?” He picked up her hand and brought it to his lips. He kissed her palm with such tenderness that for a moment it seemed like there was no one else in the room. Her breath caught in her throat as they looked deeply into each other’s eyes.

The spell was broken when they heard someone clear their throat uncomfortably.

“Hellooo! Earth to Sophie and Bucky!” Erin stared at them wistfully as her words penetrated the fog that had enveloped the couple.

Startled, Sophie looked up at her friend in shock. “Ugh! Sorry Erin. Didn’t mean to be rude…” her voice trailed off as she looked back into Bucky’s shining eyes.

“Oh please there’s no need to apologize. If I had someone who looked at me like that I’d be in my own world with them, too.” Erin chuckled wistfully as she sat back down across from them.

Just then their waiter approached with their bill. “I’ll get that,” Erin said as she took the slip of paper. Bucky and Sophie began to protest when Erin held a hand up in front of their stunned faces.

“It’s my treat,” she said as she searched for her wallet inside her backpack.

Bucky immediately spoke up, “That’s very kind of you Erin but I can’t let you do that,” he said as he retrieved the bill from her hand. “A true gentleman always pays for his ladies’ meals.” He said as he winked at her. She acquiesced when she realized protesting would be useless.

“Thank you Buck,” she said softly. Something in Bucky’s memory was triggered. Someone else used to call him Buck… someone important.

Steve.

“Bucky? Honey you okay?” Sophie’s voice took on a tone of concern. He’d been standing stock still with the slip of paper in his hand as he stared into the distance for an unusual amount of time. He shook his head quickly and said, “Yeah.. yeah I’m good. I’m gonna go take care of this,” he said quietly as stepped away to go to the front counter to pay.

“What was that all about?” he overheard Erin ask Sophie. “I’m not sure,” she replied.

Fifteen minutes later he’d walked them back to the school and was seeing them inside. He let Erin give him a hug goodbye and agreed to a night out with her and Sophie for dinner and drinks once the semester was officially over.

“I’ll come find you in a minute,” Sophie called out to Erin as she headed toward their lockers. Erin nodded and waved before disappearing down the hall.

Sophie turned back to Bucky, “Whatever it is that’s eating away at you… we’ll get through it. Together.” She pulled him into a bear hug and kissed his cheek. “I promise.”

He held her tightly to his chest, kissed her forehead and simply said, “Okay.” They kissed deeply for a moment longer before she headed down the corridor to find her friend.

He watched as she walked away and felt a stab of fear in his heart. What if he couldn’t protect her? What if he couldn’t beat Yuri?

No. Yuri would NOT succeed.

Bucky decided it was time to strategize.

\----------

That night in bed they were both exhausted but too wound up to sleep. Bucky had still not opened up and Sophie’s instincts were going into overdrive. She felt a sudden urge to fight something or someone.

She was overwhelmed with a need to protect him.

She’d finally had enough.

“Honey. Talk to me. Tell me what’s going on.” It wasn’t an order but it wasn’t exactly a shy plea either.

Bucky lay on his back with his right forearm draped across his eyes.

“Honey,” she repeated, “Talk to me.”

Still nothing. Her sudden urge to fight dissolved into fear. She propped herself up on one elbow and gently laid her palm on his bare chest.

“Baby,” she whispered, “I’m here.”

His chest rose and fell with deep breaths. When he finally moved his arm she could see that there were tears in his eyes. She immediately sat up in alarm.

Her own eyes wet she pleaded with him to say something. Anything.

When he finally looked at her it nearly broke her heart. “You’re in danger,” he whispered, “and I’m terrified that there’s nothing I can do to protect you.”

He pulled himself up into a sitting position and leaned back against the headboard.

“W-what? How?” she asked, dumbfounded.

He pulled her into his lap and held onto her tightly as he spoke. “Remember that man from the bar the other night? He called himself Jerry.” She nodded.

“his name isn’t Jerry. It’s Yuri,” his voice shook. “Yuri Kurylenko. We used to work together for Hydra and for the KGB.

He’s an assassin. He’s come to take me back.”

He stared at her with eyes like saucers.

“He said that if I don’t go with him willingly he would come for you. He’d hurt you to punish me.” He held her in an iron grip.

“I won’t let him touch you!” he snarled as his rage began to emerge. “I have to stop him.

But I can’t do it. At least not without reverting back into a killing machine. Only the… Winter Soldier… can defeat him.”

He buried his face in her neck and took a deep breath. “If he goes back to Hydra with knowledge of you and our life here in Montreal they’ll return with an army. They’ll kill you and they’ll wipe me. They’ll put me back into cryo.”

As she choked back a sob he cupped her face in his hands. “I can’t let him get away. I have to make him disappear. Do you understand what I’m telling you?”

Wide-eyed, she nodded.

“You’re gonna kill him,” she whispered.

He nodded solemnly.

She closed her eyes and felt a panic attack threaten to overwhelm her so she tried to control her breaths.

“Hey it’s going to be okay! It’s going to be okay I promise!” He held her tightly in his arms and stroked her hair as he tried to soothe her.

Tears streamed down her face. “How? How do you know that?” she cried, “I can’t lose you…”

He peppered her eyes, cheeks and forehead with kisses. “You won’t lose me,” he promised. “I swear to you I will end this and we will never have to look back.”

\----------

The overnight hours passed quicker than either of them wanted. She called in sick to work and they spent all day sorting through his weapons cache and going over his plans to outwit his former comrade.

“I should be going with you,” she growled.

That stopped Bucky in his tracks. “You don’t mean that,” he said quietly.

“The hell I don’t!” she shot back. “The two of us working together? He’d never see it coming! Teach me how to use these,” she gestured to the array of blades and guns that lay on the kitchen table before them.

He put down the dagger he was sharpening and took her hands in his own, “Even if I wanted to, there’s not enough time to train you to use just one of these much less all of them. Besides,” he said in a deep tone she’d never heard before, “I’m used to working alone.”

Her eyes darkened.

“Don’t take that personally!” he barked.

They stared at each other for several moments.

She let out a deep sigh. “I’m sorry,” she moaned as she slumped into the nearest dining room chair. “I just want to help. I feel so… responsible.”

His eyes and voice softened as he sat down next to her. “What? Responsible? Why in the world would you ever think this is on you?”

She stared down at her hands and began to tear at her cuticles. “If we’d never met Yuri would have never tracked you down here in Montreal. You stayed in this city for me. If you’d just moved on the way you’d originally planned none of this would be happening now.”

Bucky sat in silence as he chose his next words carefully.

“It was my choice to stay. You didn’t force me to do anything I didn’t want to do. I wanted to be here. I wanted to be with you.

I still do. That’s why I’m going to fight him. You and I… we have a life here. I don’t want to lose it. I don’t want to lose you. For the first time in forever I finally feel like I have a home.”

He pulled her close to him, pressed his forehead to hers and whispered, “This is my home.”

11pm arrived all too soon. Sophie watched as Bucky conducted his final preparations for the confrontation by stuffing his pockets with knives and strapping several guns into two holsters that would remain concealed by his jacket. He’d even slid a pair of daggers into his boots after he put them on.

Finally it was time to go. She clung to him as he hugged her tightly and kissed her all over her face and neck, whispering promises of his swift return. Then he stalked down the hall without looking back.

She watched him disappear then closed the door behind her.

There was nothing left to do but wait.

\----------


	9. Walking Wounded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Battle on Mont-Royal

Bucky heard the apartment door close softly behind him just as he’d rounded the corner to head down the stairwell. Part of him wanted to turn right around and throw himself in Sophie’s arms before dragging her far away from the city to somewhere safe, someplace where Yuri and Hydra would never find them.

The only problem was that such a place did not exist. Hydra seemingly had eyes everywhere. It didn’t matter where they’d end up Hydra would eventually catch up to them. No. He had to make a stand. Yuri had to be stopped before it was too late.

He descended the stairs and tried to stay focused on what needed to be done. The canvas bag he carried felt both lightweight and as heavy as a metric tonne. Inside was what he needed to get rid of his former comrade; he did not want to use this particular set of supplies but he knew he’d have to if he was going to be able to keep Sophie, and himself, safe.

Forty minutes later he’d arrived at the base of the mountain. He scanned the streets and felt confident that he was not being watched. He took his time to reach his first destination and, once there, carefully hid the canvas bag beneath the thick foliage. Satisfied it would remain undetected, he continued upward to the meeting spot Yuri had indicated in his note.

Midnight. Bucky stood near the top of Mount Royal and looked out at the city skyline. It was a beautiful sight. He made a mental note to explore more of the city with Sophie once he’d dispensed with Yuri.

It didn’t take long for his former friend to appear as the soft sound of footsteps on dry foliage betrayed the Soviet’s presence. They were in a secluded section of the mountain not open to the public and it was actually quite a trek through the wilderness to reach. He turned to face his old colleague.

Yuri stared at him wordlessly.

Bucky stared back.

“You’ve lost your touch,” Bucky laughed, “I heard you coming a mile away.”

“What need do I have to be silent?” the Soviet retorted in deeply accented Russian, “I had no plans to come at you in secret. Just the opposite in fact. I wanted you to see me coming. That way I know I defeated you when you were at your best. Or at least whatever best condition you’re in now.”

“You’re so soft, like kitten…” he mocked, “When was the last time you were in a real fight?”

Bucky shook his head. “Cut the shit Yuri. I’ll give you one chance to walk away. Leave now. Don’t come back. And I’ll let you live,” he stated calmly.

The Soviet sneered then hissed, “Once I’m done with you I think I’ll pay a visit to your woman. She looks like she’ll be a lot of fun in the sack. Tell me Soldier, is she a screamer or a moaner?”

With lightning speed Bucky whipped a dagger at Yuri’s head, which the man barely sidestepped. He could see a bright line of red appear on the Soviet’s cheekbone. He’d grazed him.

“You’ve definitely lost your touch,” Kurylenko smirked at him. “There used to be a time where a throw like that would have never missed its mark.”

Bucky stepped forward with another blade in hand.

“Who said I missed? Consider it a final warning shot. Walk away. Now. Don’t look back. Don’t tell anyone you saw me.”

Kurylenko just laughed and charged forward. Bucky launched the second dagger, which connected with Yuri’s shoulder.

The Soviet grunted then pulled the knife out from where it had dug into his flesh. He whipped it straight back at Bucky and connected just above his clavicle. Blood poured from the wound as he staggered back.

“You and your little knives!” Kurylenko hissed as he pulled a Glock from his waistband and aimed.

Bucky jumped to the left as Yuri fired his gun, causing the bullet to lodge in the tree directly behind where he’d been standing. He flipped then rolled up onto one knee as he fired his own weapon. His bullet struck the Soviet square in the chest and he went down.

Bucky carefully got to his feet, the knife still stuck in his chest, and slowly walked over to Yuri, who lay motionless on the ground. Keeping his weapon trained on his enemy he bent to examine him.

Sure enough the man was wearing body armour. Yuri struggled to regain his footing but Bucky was already on top of him. He smashed him hard in the face with the butt of his gun, sending the other man sprawling on his back.

Bucky stood up perfectly straight and without a moment’s hesitation pointed the gun down at Yuri and put three bullets in the Soviet’s head. Then he pulled back his Kevlar and put two more slugs in his heart for good measure.

He stood back up and listened to the eerie silence that had fallen over the forest. Any and all woodland creatures that may have bore witness to their battle now knew who the mountain’s apex predator to be.

Satisfied, he walked around the scene and retrieved the knives as well as all the bullet casings that had fallen to the ground during their confrontation. Next he dug the bullet from the tree trunk out with one of his daggers and pocketed it. Lastly he pulled the blade from his chest and put pressure on the wound to stanch the bleeding. It wasn’t bad. The blade had missed the major arteries. It would heal in no time.

He slumped to the ground and stared at Yuri’s lifeless body. His mind drifted back to the days when he’d almost considered the man his friend. They’d worked together for the KGB for a long time, first as each other’s wingmen on single assignments then as full-fledged partners on major assaults with multiple targets.

His mind wasn’t wiped as often during his time working for Mother Russia so regaining memories from those times was slightly easier. It was how he’d managed to retain his awareness of his working relationship with Yuri.

It seemed like a million years ago. Another world. Another lifetime.

He got up and staggered over to view the Montreal skyline again.

 _Yes,_ he thought, _we are definitely going to explore this city more. Starting with the Old Port._

He then made his way back over to where he’d stashed the canvas bag. It contained lye, a shovel and garbage bags. He had a lot more work to do before he could go home to Sophie.

\----------

It was close to 4am when he finally staggered back to the apartment. He was covered in dirt and sweat and there were several smears of blood on his clothing so he’d had to improvise how to get back to their neighbourhood unseen, as public transportation was not an option. Sophie had waited up for him the entire time, praying he’d come back to her safely.

As soon as she heard the key in the lock she was on her feet and bounding for the door. She threw it open and flung herself into his arms. He winced in pain but didn’t let it show. All he cared about was that she was safe and they were together. He held her close and felt her body tremble against him.

“Oh God Bucky I was so scared!” she cried into his embrace.

“Shhhh it’s okay baby, it’s all over now,” he cooed as he stroked her hair with his metal hand.

She pulled back to take a good look at him. “You’re hurt!” she yelped when she saw the bloodstains on the upper chest area of his shirt and jacket.

“Let’s get these off,” she said as she gently tugged on one sleeve. He let her remove the items of clothing and watched as she dropped them on the floor. He noted how unfazed she was in the face of the results of obvious extreme violence.

“This looks bad,” she whispered as she examined the wound on his chest.

He pretended it was nothing. “You should see the other guy!” he joked then winced as he bent down to remove his boots.

“Stop that! Let me help you,” she insisted as she guided him to the couch.

He allowed her to take the lead. He’d never had anyone take such loving care of him after a mission before. Usually he was just debriefed, had routine maintenance done on his metal arm, was sometimes stitched up without anesthetic and was then, oftentimes, unceremoniously dumped back into cryo until the next time they needed him.

She undid his belt and zipper before having him stand in front of the couch. Then she gently pulled his boots and socks off one at a time.

“Feel like telling me what exactly happened?” she asked as she gently tugged down his bloodstained pants and threw them atop the rest of the clothing she planned to burn in the building’s incinerator.

He was silent. She looked up into his eyes and was heartbroken to see how pained they were. She sat on the couch, pulled him down next to her and held his hand.

“Bucky, are you okay?” she asked as she stroked his cheek with her fingertips.

He shook his head and then collapsed onto her. He hugged her waist, buried his face in her lap and cried for several minutes. She stroked his hair and whispered words of love and encouragement as he let his pain and stress go.

Soon his body relaxed and his cries subsided. He lay on her lap for a long time, savouring the touch of her hands in his hair and the sweet smell of her skin. He breathed in deeply and kissed her inner thigh.

Her breath caught in her throat and her body instinctively tensed.

He stopped and sat back up again. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled as he got up and made his way to the bathroom.

She paused before following him.

“No, I’m sorry,” she said as she approached him from behind. He was examining his wound in the mirror and made eye contact with her in the reflection.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said quietly as he pressed the wound shut with his fingertips. He let out a low hiss as the pain shot through him.

She pressed herself into his back and kissed his right shoulder blade.

“Can you do me a favour?” he asked, “Can you bring me the small black bag that I keep in the strong box?” She nodded and headed back to the hall closet and quickly returned with the requested item.

“What is it?” she asked as she watched him open it and rummage through the contents.

“It’s my sewing kit,” he answered as he pulled out a clear plastic container filled with assorted large needles, a spool of cotton thread and an almost empty bottle of rubbing alcohol.

It took several moments before it dawned on her what he planned to do.

“Whoa!” she whispered as she watched him painfully swab the wound with an alcohol-soaked paper towel before threading the needle and dipping it into the remains of the liquid in an attempt to sterilize it.

He looked into her eyes in the mirror. “Maybe you shouldn’t see this,” he said softly.

She gulped, nodded and went into the bedroom but left the door open. Ten minutes later she heard the shower running and she returned to the bathroom.

He was already under the stream. She looked down at the floor and picked up and threw away the remains of torn thread and shredded paper towels that he’d used when he’d sewn up the wound.

She watched as the steam from the hot shower crept across the mirror’s surface. She thought about how alone he must have felt at that moment and she made her final decision.

She took a deep breath, stripped off her clothes, pulled the shower curtain back and stepped inside behind him.


	10. In This Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky and Sophie take their relationship to the next level

Bucky turned in surprise and drank in the vision that stood before him. Sophie was naked and holding her arms out to him. He pulled her close and let the water flow over the two of them as they stood together under the shower's stream. The water stung his newly sewn wound but he didn’t care.

She pulled her arms back toward her chest and clasped her hands tightly together beneath her chin as she looked up at him with wide eyes. He touched his flesh fingertips to her cheekbone and grazed the soft skin of her face. She was tense, trembling even. She closed her eyes as he cupped her chin and tipped her face up to his and softly kissed her mouth. His whole body thrummed but he didn’t dare make any bold moves that might startle her.

He felt her relax a bit as he kissed her. She unclasped her hands and placed them on his chest tentatively, making sure to avoid the wounded area. He gently put his hands on her shoulders and pulled back to look into her eyes.

“You sure you’re okay with this?” he breathed.

She nodded. He pulled her into another kiss and let his hands travel down her sides to rest on her hips.

She pushed him away and for a moment he was crestfallen. Then, to his pleasant surprise, she reached back for the shampoo bottle, poured a small amount in her hands and reached up to gently lather his hair.

The scalp massage she gave him was pure ecstasy. He thought about how good it felt when she stroked his long hair as they lay together in bed; it was out of this world. But this…this was a whole other universe altogether.

She pushed his chin up slightly in order to place his head directly under the water to rinse the soap from his hair. After the last of the suds had washed away he looked back at her with utter adoration. She blushed under his gaze, which made her cuter than ever.

Her long wet hair was plastered to her forehead, neck and shoulders. He took his turn with the shampoo and gently lathered her strands. She moaned softly as his fingers gently dug into her scalp and neck along several pressure points to relieve the tension in her muscles.

He wrapped his arms around her and twisted both their bodies in tandem in order to place her directly under the stream to rinse her hair then repeated the sequence with her hair conditioner.

He used his fingers to brush the loose strands off her face and felt her shiver under his touch. He pulled her forward away from the shower, took the bar of soap, lathered up an amount in his hands and placed it back on the dish before he began to rub her arms and shoulders in small circular motions. She leaned forward, sighed, and rested her forehead on his chest as he rubbed her shoulder blades, spine and lower back with his soapy hands.

He bent forward and lifted up her left leg by the knee, gently soaped it from her hip to her foot, put it back down gently then repeated the same motions with her right leg. He then pulled down the handheld showerhead and rinsed her lower body as he massaged her skin. Her breath hitched as he rubbed her inner thighs.

She lathered up her hands and gingerly massaged the muscles in his neck and his right shoulder, then down his back and over his thighs. Carefully avoiding the scar tissue where flesh met metal she pressed and grazed his shoulder blades and spine with her thumbs, which sent shivers down the entire length of his body. She rinsed him off then stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on the nose.

The pain from his chest wound completely forgotten, he lifted her up in his arms, wrapped her legs around his waist and pressed her up against the shower wall. She yelped in surprise but didn’t try to bolt. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.

He leaned his body into hers and she reciprocated. Encouraged, he moaned into her mouth and cupped her left breast with his flesh hand as he supported her body against the shower wall with his metal arm.

His erection was fierce. He wanted so much to be able to make love to her but he held back out of fear that it would be a step too far. He pulled back from their kiss and stared into her eyes.

“We’ll only go as far as you’re okay with,” his breath was ragged as he spoke.

She nodded and allowed herself to remain pinned to the wall. He kissed her neck and nibbled on the base of her throat. She threw her head back in ecstasy and moaned his name, “Buckyyy...” He licked along her jaw line and nipped at her earlobe with his teeth.

She gripped the back of his head and, pulling his hair in a downward motion, forced his chin up so she could take a turn at caressing his neck with her tongue. He moaned and felt himself grow even harder.

\----------

They were reaching the point of no return. She knew it would be cruel to call a halt to their actions and yet, funnily enough, she realized that she didn’t want to him to stop.

She’d never gone this far with anyone in her life. Since the rape when she was a teenager she’d never been completely naked, much less gotten physical, with anyone. Her first boyfriend… her rapist… did his best to make sure she never felt comfortable with anyone ever again.

Until now. Bucky was a game changer. He made everything feel good, he made her feel safe, and most importantly, he made her feel genuinely loved.

She signaled for him to put her down and he obliged. She looked at him up and down, pausing for several moments to stare at his amazing erection, and immediately shut off the water.

“Not in here,” she breathed heavily in his ear. Following her lead, he reached over and grabbed a towel off the nearby shelf and wrapped it around her. He then took a smaller one and towel dried her hair as much as he could before letting her slip past him to rush out the door. He quickly wrapped his own towel around his waist and followed her into the bedroom.

He found her perched on the bed with her towel still wrapped tightly around her body. She stared at him as he let his own fall to the floor as he approached. He stood before her completely naked and it was a glorious sight to behold.

His tall muscular body shone with rivulets of water that fell from his still soaking wet hair. The low light from the bedside table lamp softly lit up the shiny metallic surface of his left arm. His beautiful blue eyes were filled with love and longing.

She held a hand out to him and pulled him to the bed with her. They sat facing each other and yet neither said a word. They didn’t need to speak. Everything they wanted to say was in their eyes.

She slowly removed her towel and let it drop to the floor. She saw him inhale deeply and then hold his breath before slowly releasing it through pursed lips. Then he flashed that dazzling smile of his and she melted.

He gently cupped her chin and kissed her mouth. She sighed and reached up her hands to cradle his jaw line as she kissed him back. They pressed their foreheads together and pulled in matching ragged breaths, eyes shut tight.

She looked at him and knew she was ready. She knew exactly what she wanted.

She lay back on the bed and pulled him down on top of her. He kissed her neck and shoulders and then pressed a trail of kisses from one side of her throat to the other. She moaned his name as he slowly moved down her body and pressed his mouth to one of her nipples and sucked gently.

She tangled her fingers in his long wet hair as he playfully bit one nipple and lightly pinched the other between his metal index finger and thumb. She felt heat begin to rise from her lower body and a distinct wetness that made her body ache for him.

She reached down and took his uncut cock into her hand. She gasped as she fully realized how thick and large he truly was, and truth be told, it made her a little nervous. Other than her rapist, she’d never had sex (not that she even considered his violation of her as sex anyway) at any other time in her life.

“I’ve never really done anything like this before,” she whispered.

He paused, pushed himself up and then lay down next to her with his right arm folded under his head. He studied her with a loving gaze.

He picked up her hand and kissed her fingertips. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

She nodded again, her eyes wide.

He smiled at her and stroked her cheek with the back of his metal hand. “We’ll take this slow. I want you to tell me if and when anything hurts, all right? Don’t be shy. I need you to be honest with me so that I can make this as pleasurable for you as possible.”

She nodded again as a deep scarlet blush swept down from her face to her breasts.

He took her hand and placed it on his chest and then he maneuvered himself back into position on top. He pushed her knees apart with his metal hand and hovered above her.

He kissed and licked her from her ears and neck down to her breasts, then her belly and beyond. She trembled as his hot breath connected with her silky wetness. He kneeled before her and, with a twinkle in his eye, slowly went down and flicked her clit with the tip of his long tongue.

Her body jerked in ecstasy. He licked again, this time making small circular motions around her clit and then he took long licks up and down her entire slit. She moaned and writhed as he feasted on her for several long glorious minutes.

She felt an incredible sensation begin to build deep inside her. Despite being a virgin she wasn’t a complete prude and had explored her own body plenty of times to know what it felt like when an intense orgasm was on the horizon.

She reached down and grabbed his hair in her fists as she moaned his name, “Ohhhh… ohhh Bucky… I’m gonna come!” He responded by tightly gripping her thighs and ramping up the intensity of his licks. He then nipped at her clit with his teeth and sucked it between his lips.

She arched her back as the first wave of her orgasm crashed over her. “BUCKY!” she screamed. He locked her into his arms and greedily lapped up the delicious juice that flowed out of her and she writhed beneath him.

“Oh my God… oh my God…oh my fucking God!” she repeatedly moaned as the waves overtook her entire body. When they finally subsided she tapped his right shoulder to signal him to climb back up to face her. He slowly obliged though he seemed reluctant to leave his current spot.

The smile on his face was amazing. She pulled him into a deep kiss and was intrigued by her own taste on his tongue. She reached down and gripped his cock in her left hand.

“I want you inside me,” she whispered as she stroked him.

\----------

He threw his head back and growled her name as he pushed her legs open once again and gently pressed the tip of his cock against her slit. He slowly entered her inch by inch and studied her face for any hint of pain. She stared into his eyes with such intensity that it turned him on even more.

She whimpered. He stopped suddenly, “Are you okay?” he whispered as he caressed her face. She recovered and nodded her head, “Yeah, I’m good…I’m good don’t worry… keep going!”

Then it was time for the final thrust. He pushed in slowly until he was completely enveloped up to the hilt.

He watched her face as he penetrated her. The combination of love and lust he saw there made his heart sing. He began to thrust in and out slowly and savoured the amazing sensation of having his cock squeezed tightly inside her.

She laced her fingers together on the back of his neck and pulled him in close for another deep kiss. He steadied himself by placing his metal hand on the mattress and then touched her face with his flesh hand as he made love to her.

Their breathing became ragged in tandem. He intensified his thrusts and she bucked beneath him in time with his movements. He bit her neck and shoulder and she pulled on his hair as his first and her second orgasm began to build in unison.

He slid his right hand down between them and sought out her clit once again. After he found it he massaged it with his thumb as he continued to thrust harder and faster.

She cried out and he felt her body go rigid beneath him and knew she’d once again reached her peak. She moaned his name over and over. As he rammed his cock deep inside he felt her walls squeeze him ever tighter as she came.

It put him over the edge. He screamed her name as he came inside her, pumping away hard and fast. He gripped her tightly to him and brought his mouth hard down on hers in a frantic French kiss.

They were rigidly locked together for a few more moments before they finally collapsed onto the bed in a sweaty heap. He was still on top and inside of her, their limbs tangled. It took a few moments to recover his equilibrium and realize that she was frantically trying to get his attention.

“What? What is it? Did I hurt you?” he whispered frantically.

She shook her head and motioned with her hand for him to lie down next to her. He followed her lead and when he lifted himself up she inhaled a series of deep breaths.

“Whoa!” she exclaimed as she continued to desperately draw air into her lungs.

He propped himself up on one elbow. “Are you okay?” he asked as he examined her features.

“Oh… yeah,” she replied breathlessly, “that… that was awesome. It’s just that when…” she looked down as she hesitated to continue but he urged her to speak by tipping her chin up to face him.

“When what?” he asked.

“When you finished and… collapsed on top of me with your full weight. I kind of… couldn’t breathe,” she said, almost embarrassed.

He stared at her in shock. “Oh God I’m so sorry!”

“I’m fine, I promise!” she said as she began to relax a little more.

He planted a series of kisses on her forehead before he turned her over onto her side to spoon her from behind. He held her tightly to him, kissed the back of her neck while she interlocked her arms with his and they were soon asleep.

\----------

They dozed peacefully for a few hours before she awoke to find herself completely locked in the cage of his arms. She could hear him snoring lightly behind her.

She looked down at his metal arm and hand and studied them. The smooth steel plates all interconnected in an almost zigzag pattern and his fingertips were printless. She glanced back at his shoulder and took in the red star that was prominently painted there. She reached a finger up to trace along its edge when she saw him watching her.

“Hi,” she whispered as she turned over to face him. She wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled his jaw line with her nose.

“Hi back,” he replied softly as he once again planted kisses on her forehead.

“You’re curious,” he stated calmly as he interlaced his metal fingers with her flesh ones.

She nodded. “You don’t have to tell me about it if you’re not comfortable,” she assured him.

He shook his head. “No, it’s okay I just… I’m not a fan of revisiting those memories. Much of it I learned like everyone else: I read about it on the Internet.”

She looked up at him in confusion.

“Back in DC,” he explained, “When Hydra first went public and Steve and his friends were fighting back, one of their tactics was to dump all of Hydra’s top secret files onto public websites.”

“a lot of those files included information about me, where I came from and what my job was, plus my code name,” he looked at her sadly.

“Before I met you… when I was drifting from town to town I’d sometimes overhear snippets of conversations from random people about the Hydra files they’d found online.”

“One of them mentioned a super soldier that was kept in cold storage and my heart almost flew out of my chest,” his voice trembled.

“Every chance I got I went online to search for as many Hydra files as I could find. It took a while but then I hit the mother lode."

“I found a ton of redacted files, a lot of the most sensitive stuff was blacked out but enough was left to give me a better understanding of how I came to be since I already knew most of the info that had been withheld.”

She pulled herself up closer and rested her lips against his neck as he spoke.

“I’d already pieced together what Hydra had done to me at the beginning… the first experiments, my recapture after I fell from the train, giving me the arm and the continuation of their work."

“Then I started to remember times when I was not specifically with Hydra anymore. They had loaned me out to the KGB.”

She inhaled sharply. He kissed her hair and nodded.

“That’s where I knew Yuri from. We worked together for the KGB in the 80s.”

She propped herself up on her elbow and stared at him incredulously. “The Cold War…” she said, shocked.

His eyes were wet as he looked up at the ceiling.

“Oh wow…” she whispered as she clambered up to a sitting position and pulled his two hands into her left as she cupped his face with her right.

“All those horrible things Hydra made you do… none of them were your fault. You know that, right?” she looked at him curiously.

He shut his eyes tight and shook his head. “Bucky…” she kissed his flesh hand.

“Look at me,” she implored; he refused.

“Look at me!” she demanded. His eyes flew open and locked onto hers.

“It was not your fault!” she insisted. “You were a prisoner of war. If you’d had control of your free will, would you have done those things?” With wet downcast eyes he shook his head solemnly.

She climbed on top of him, straddled his waist and leaned forward with one hand on his chest and the other on the mattress next to his head.

“That’s right! You wouldn’t have. None of what you did as the Winter Soldier was by choice. That wasn’t the real you!”

He caressed her face, dragged in a ragged breath and whispered, “I know…but I did it.”

“Baby,” she whispered, “They hurt you. Tortured you. They fucking erased you and turned you into a living weapon! Everything you did while under their control… that’s on THEM. Not you.”

She kissed his tear-stained face. “I know that and you need to know it as well. The man here with me in this bed? That’s the real you. You are kind, you are loving and you are beautiful. You make me feel so safe and so loved. No one’s ever done that before.

I love you Bucky. No matter what. Nothing you could ever say or do will ever change that fact.”

He stared at her for a long time. As fresh tears began to form in his eyes he pulled her down toward him and kissed her again.

“Being with you has changed everything,” he confessed, “I know I’m not alone in this world anymore.

I love you too Soph. I can’t imagine my life without you.”

\----------

Sophie remained straddled atop Bucky as they kissed deeply. She pressed her lips to his throat as she slowly began to grind her hips down onto his pelvis. He groaned as he reached up to tangle his fingers in her long dark hair. She playfully bit his lower lip and he responded by grunting and thrusting his hips upward.

She smiled playfully as she slid down his body slightly, caressed his chest and lightly pinched his nipples before reaching down to find his cock. She flashed him a wicked grin as she slowly repositioned herself onto him and began to move her hips.

He released her hair and she threw her head back as she rode him. She quickly maneuvered onto her knees with him still inside and went full throttle.

She looked at him again and was thrilled to see him be swept up in the moment as his eyes were shut tight. He grunted with his teeth bared as he matched her thrust for thrust.

She launched herself forward and slammed her hands down hard on the pillow behind him as she continued to ride his huge cock. His eyes flew open and he stared at her with an intensity she’d never seen before.

“Bucky!” she moaned, “come for me!”

With lightning speed she jumped off of him and climbed down between his legs. Before he could even think straight she had his cock in her mouth and was sucking hard.

With her left hand squeezing his balls and her right hand sliding up and down his shaft she kept the head deep in her mouth and moaned loudly as she continued to suck on him.

\----------

The room was spinning. Bucky’s eyesight was blurred. All he could feel was the intense sensation of Sophie’s mouth and hands between his legs. He could feel the vibrations of her moans as she took him into her throat. It was ecstasy.

All of his senses were heightened. His body was thrumming. The pressure was beginning to build and he felt his body go rigid. He was about to come in her mouth!

He tried to disentangle himself from her but she refused to let him go and applied more pressure with her lips and tongue. She licked the shaft and kissed the tip before taking him all the way in again.

The amount of pressure applied as she squeezed and caressed his balls was the perfect combination of pleasure and pain. He began to see stars.

“Oh… God… oh… Soph! Sophie! I’m coming!”

He reached down and grabbed her hair as he began to buck underneath her but she held on tight. Just then he completely let go, screamed her name and exploded in her mouth. She continued to suck and swallow as the heat poured out of him and down her throat.

His cock trembled with spasms as his orgasm began to die down yet she still would not release him. Instead of finishing him off she continued to kiss and lick his sensitive head and shaft thereby prolonging his pleasure. He was soon rock hard again as she continued to work on him. After several more minutes of bliss he exploded once more. She moaned as she drank down every drop.

As before she continued to play with his cock with her tongue as he came down from his high. She gave him one last long suck before popping his cock out of her mouth and lovingly kissing the tip before finally releasing him.

She climbed back up to lie down next to him. She rested her chin on his right shoulder, caressed his chest with her fingertips and traced small circles around his hard nipples.

“Well,” he cleared his throat, “that was…oh God… wow…” his breathing was ragged.

She giggled. “It just kinda happened on instinct. I didn’t know I was going to do it until I was actually doing it…”

She looked up at him and they locked eyes. “I’m not gonna lie Buck. I may not have much experience but I’m no stranger to skin flicks.”

He grinned like a Cheshire cat. “Are you talking about porn?” he pretended to be shocked and scandalized.

She swatted him. “It’s the twenty-first century darling. Women can appreciate porn too. At least the good kind,” she said as she cocked an eyebrow.

“You can learn a lot just by watching,” she continued, “So how did I do?”

He took her hand from where it lay on his chest and kissed her palm.

“Doll,” he said, “you’ve pretty much left me speechless.”

\----------


	11. Walk with Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confessions about the past draw Bucky and Sophie closer than ever before threatening to tear them apart.

Early the next morning Bucky found Sophie in the kitchen brewing up a pot of coffee. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and nuzzled her neck and shoulders with his lips.

“Good morning,” he murmured into her hair.

“Good morning,” she whispered back as she reached up and around to tug on his hair. She turned to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. Then she looked down and was suddenly jolted by the sight of the crudely sewn knife wound in his chest. Was it really only last night that he’d disappeared to confront an old enemy?

She shivered at the thought of what he must have gone through.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked as he tipped her chin up so he could look her in the eye.

She didn’t say a word as she shifted her gaze back down and lightly traced a circle around the affected area with her fingertip.

“Ahhh…” he said as he gained understanding.

“It’s not so bad,” he reassured her as he took her hand in his, “I’ve had plenty worse over the years. I’m still in one piece… well, almost…” he grinned as he gave an exaggerated flex of his metal arm in an attempt to amuse her.

It didn’t work.

She looked up at him sadly. “Does it hurt?”

He shook his head. “Nah. The serum they gave me in ’43 gave me the ability to heal faster than regular folks. It’s already almost completely healed up. Here look,” he said as he took her hand and slid her fingertips directly over the scar.

She held her breath as she gingerly touched his flesh. True to his word the deep wound from the night before looked weeks instead of hours old.

“Wow,” she breathed.

He then placed both of her hands over his heart and insisted, “I’m okay, I promise.”

She nodded then stood up on her tiptoes to place a quick kiss on his nose.

“If you say so,” she sighed with a wry smile.

I say so,” he echoed as he quickly pulled on a black Def Leppard t-shirt before he reached around to grab a coffee mug off the counter behind her.

She casually took in a not-so-subtle view of his incredible body as he moved around the kitchen in a sexy pair of low-slung PJs.

“If I wasn’t so close to graduation I’d say to hell with school and stay in bed with you forever,” she laughed as she went to sit at the kitchen table.

He beamed as he pulled up a second chair and sat down beside her. “So last night… it was good right? I mean… it didn’t hurt or anything?”

She reached over and cupped his jaw line. “It was perfect,” she whispered. “You made me forget everything about… well you know…” her eyes glistened for a moment before she forced the emotion back down.

He furrowed his brow as he got up to pull her back to his chest. “I need to know who that guy was,” he said gruffly as he locked his arms around her protectively.

She stiffened. “Why?” she asked.

Bucky stared out the window at the cloudless morning sky. “He needs to pay for what he did to you,” he stated matter-of-factly.

It was her turn to remain silent. Then, after several moments, “Honey… no. You can’t.”

“Why not?” he demanded, “That bastard deserves to be punished and you deserve justice.” He clenched his jaw and his gaze turned to steel. Just as quickly as they hardened his eyes softened again as he looked over her.

He tipped her chin up and planted kisses on her cheeks and lips before continuing, “I can make both happen,” he said softly as he pressed his forehead to hers.

She disentangled herself from his arms, climbed off his lap and went over to the couch. When she’d settled in she motioned for him to follow.

“That’s not what I meant when I said you can’t…” she began to explain as he sat down next to her.

“When… it… happened I was in the ninth grade and he was in the eleventh. It was late spring and he was graduating soon so a lot of parties were going on every weekend.”

“Two weeks after he… hurt me… he was at another rave. He got so drunk that,” she drew in a shaky breath, “...not long after he left the party he drove head on into a highway median divider.

He killed himself on impact.”

Bucky sat back in a whirl of conflicting emotions. He was desperate to make the guy pay but it was impossible. Karma had already done its job. He felt relief but also cheated in a way. He was overcome with an overwhelming compulsion to beat the hell out of someone who deserved it.

Just then it hit him like a mack truck. The research he’d done on her hometown… the high schooler who’d had the gym named after him. The one who was praised in the media. It was her rapist!

She had to live in the same goddamn town that put that little bastard on a fucking pedestal. He couldn’t even begin to imagine the horrors she must have had to deal with on a daily basis.

His blood began to boil but he managed to keep it under control. With more calm than he actually felt he took her hand in his, “I’m sorry... I’m so sorry that you had to go through any of that.”

She could only nod is response.

As he held her hand he traced his fingertips along her right wrist and up her arm into the crook of her elbow. Suddenly he caught sight of a series of faint scar lines. How had he not seen them before?

He instinctively pulled her arm up to his face for closer examination. Embarrassed, she pulled it back quickly and folded in on herself.

She stared at him for a few moments before she could speak.

“I…I had a hard time dealing with what happened… and then when he died only a couple of weeks later things got even worse.”

“A lot of people blamed me for what happened to him. In their minds it was my fault that he got drunk and got behind the wheel of his car just because I had the guts to speak out about what he did.

No one believed me. Not the cops. Not my friends. Not even my own mom.” Tears formed but did not fall.

“I made some shitty choices. Adopted some bad coping mechanisms. One of which included,” she took a deep breath, “cutting myself.”

She got up and retrieved a photo album from the bottom shelf of her bookcase. She opened it and flipped to a series of pics taped to the last few pages before handing it to him.

“I spent most of that summer on my own,” she pointed to one photo in particular, “One weekend, though, I spent at my grandparents’ lake house. It was one of the few extended family trips I’d been invited on. A lot of my cousins were going and for once they agreed I could join them when one of my aunts insisted they invite me.”

The photo featured a very young Sophie sitting at a campfire with a group of teens. Studying it Bucky could see how isolated she’d been as most of the group was all clustered to one side of the fire as she sat alone on a long wooden bench. They all looked to be laughing at an inside joke as Sophie quietly watched the flames dance; her mind clearly elsewhere.

“Earlier that day,” she gestured to the photo, “everyone else wanted to go swimming but I wanted to go on a hike to get a full view of the lake from the top of the hill. I’d planned to set out just after lunch but… just before I left I overheard two of my cousins talking about me.

They pretty much ripped me to shreds. Called me a liar. A slut. They said I had to have been lying about the rape just to get attention. They questioned why he’d ever want to touch me anyway since he was so hot he could have had any girl he wanted.”

Her voice broke. Bucky gripped her tightly in his arms as she continued.

I took off from the lakehouse and ran up the hiking path as fast as I could. I ran until I felt like my lungs were going to explode. I finally stopped in a clearing near the top of the hill.

I was so sad and tired and really fucking pissed off. I felt myself begin to hyperventilate. I was on the edge of a full blown panic attack. I was desperate to calm down so I went to lie down on the grass on my back and threw my arms out at my sides. Just as I did that I felt a sharp sting in my right forearm. I immediately jumped back up and saw that my arm had landed right on top of a very pissed off bee. It stung me.

In that moment all my emotional pain just disappeared. Evaporated. All I could think of… all I could focus on… was the stinger. I stared at the welt that began to form and it was like nothing I’d ever experienced before.

That was the beginning.

When that happened I discovered that if I channeled my emotional pain into a physical version I could control it better… or at least that’s what I believed at the time.”

After a while I made my way back to the house and my aunt helped me get the stinger out and bandaged the welt for me. For a long time after that all I could think about was how physical pain seemed like a better alternative to emotional pain.

Every once in a while when things got bad I’d cut a little to take the pressure off when I needed my inner pain to stop. If I didn’t have a blade then my own nails would get the job done. I’d scratch until I bled, let it heal then rip the wound open again.

A lot of the time I felt like I wasn’t me if I wasn’t bleeding. I know it sounds crazy but I’m not crazy Bucky I swear. There was just something about wound care that made me feel better somehow. It made my anxiety would go away. It was stress relief.

Sometimes I’d even be doing it without realizing. I’d only notice when I’d look at my nails and there would be fresh blood underneath them.”

She looked down. “I’m a southpaw so most of my work was done here,” she whispered as she traced a line over an area along her left thigh with her ring finger. “The scars have mostly faded but I can still feel them.” Her voice trailed off.

Bucky couldn’t believe what he was hearing. His beloved had suffered so much to the point where she’d been punishing herself for the harm someone else had inflicted on her.

And she’d done it for years.

“Oh my god,” he murmured.

“It’s okay,” she assured him, a broken smile on her face. “I’m okay now. I try not to do that anymore.”

He stared deep into her eyes and saw she was telling the truth. Still it didn’t quell his rage. The unfairness of her trauma made him see red. He couldn’t imagine anyone hurting her for sport like her rapist did or make her feel invisible like her own family had done.

His protection instinct went into overdrive. If he couldn’t make her rapist pay he’d find someone else who would take his place.

He held her as tightly to his chest as he could without breaking her. They sat there for a long time before she spoke again.

“That… that was not how I pictured this morning was going to go,” she sat up and faced him. She pressed her forehead to his chin and then pushed herself up and off the couch.

“Sophie wait…” he called out as he reached for her hand. She stepped back close to him and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

“It’s okay Buck you don’t have to say anything,” she said softly as she ran her fingers through his long dark hair.

“It’s not fair!” He looked up at her with his huge blue eyes. “You didn’t deserve that. Any of it!” his voice took on a dark edge.

She leaned forward and kissed him deeply.

“Thank you for saying that. And for being here with me. Listening. It means the world to me to have you in my corner.

I don’t know what I’d do without you Bucky. You make me feel safe. Safer than I’ve ever felt for a very long time.” She kissed him again.

“Sophie I want to help you but I don’t know how…” his voice faltered.

“Just by being here? You already are. I promise.”

He placed his hand on her left thigh and gently rubbed the spot she’d indicated where her old scars had been. He leaned in close and kissed her flesh. She inhaled sharply as a shock of electricity swept through her at his touch.

She pulled him up from the couch, took his hand and led him back down the hall where she pushed him up against the bedroom door and slipped her fingers inside the seam of his low slung pyjama pants.

“Hey,” he whispered hot against her ear, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

The moist air from his breath tickled her; she nodded silently and shivered.

He lightly traced his tongue along her earlobe, down her neck then back up to her hairline behind her ear.

A low moan escaped her lips. He knew exactly how to touch her in the sweetest spots. She ran her hands through his hair and massaged his neck and scalp with her fingertips. He closed his eyes and let himself melt into her touch. He absolutely loved it when she played with his long hair.

He growled and bit her throat playfully. She shrieked and swatted at him.

He only stopped biting once she’d grabbed a fistful of his hair and tightened her grip. He let out another groan as his eyes rolled back in his head. It drove him crazy when she pulled his hair in such a dominating manner.

She licked and nipped at his exposed throat and felt the rumble of a growl of arousal vibrate from within him. She sucked a tender spot at the base that darkened but then immediately began to fade from the healing affects of the super soldier serum.

He pressed his mouth to hers and teased her lips open with his tongue. She welcomed him in with a low moan of pleasure. He responded by pressing his erection into her thigh.

She ran her hands down his arms, onto his hips and gripped his ass tightly with her fingers. He shivered and ground his pelvis into hers as he kissed her deeply.

She bit and sucked on his lower lip as she pulled his hips toward her. He quickly reached up and pulled off his t-shirt in one swift motion, exposing his gorgeous chest and his gleaming metal arm.

He reached out and tenderly touched her face with his metal fingertips. “You are so beautiful,” he whispered as he stared into her eyes. She reached up to sweep away the hair that fell over his forehead.

“So are you,” she breathed as she pulled him to her mouth again. They kissed for several exquisite minutes before Bucky came up for air.

“Come with me,” he urged as he led her toward the bed and gently sat her down at the edge. Still standing in front of her, he pulled her close into an embrace. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her lips to his ab muscles. She lightly traced their lines with the tip of her tongue and felt his stomach quiver under her fingertips. She looked up to see him watching her with such adoration that her heart felt like it was going to explode.

She hooked her thumbs into the seams of his pants and slid them down his legs. He gasped and then moaned as she let them drop to the floor while pulling his thighs closer to her chest. He tangled his hands in her hair as she pressed her face into his abs and began to lick downward.

She slid two fingers into the waistband of his boxer briefs and pulled them down. He moaned again as his large erect cock was suddenly wrapped in her tiny hands. They made eye contact again; hers were sparkling and his were filled with lust. Maintaining their locked gaze, she slowly slid her lips over the tip of his uncut cock and began to lick in a swirling motion.

His whole body went rigid as she slowly took him deeper and deeper into her mouth and into the back of her throat. She gripped the base of his cock with her left hand as she steadied her herself against him with her right arm by keeping it wrapped tightly around his thigh.

She began to suck a little bit harder, developing a smooth rhythm that soon had him moaning louder and louder. He gripped her hair tightly in a way that turned her on like crazy. She varied the speed and depth of her movements, not keeping to any specific pattern, just did what felt good in the moment. One second she was licking the head, the next she was swirling it in a French kiss style, the next it was deep in her mouth again buried in her cheek where she gently grazed it with her teeth.

She drew his cock out of her mouth in one long luxurious sucking motion and looked up at him. His head was thrown back and he was breathing heavily.

“Bucky…” she called out, “Bucky look at me.” Pulled out of his daze he struggled to focus his eyes. “Yeah… baby… yes, what do you want?” he spoke in ragged bursts.

“I want to you fuck my mouth. I want you to watch as I swallow your come… can you do that for me?”

He reached out to caress her face with his metal hand. “Oh god… oh god yes I can do that for you…” he locked eyes on her and began to slowly thrust his cock deep into her mouth in a smooth rhythm.

She smiled as she continued to suck him down, staring at him as she could feel the familiar spasms beginning to build in that glorious way that signaled his orgasm would happen soon.

He continued to fuck her mouth and she continued to suck as hard and as fast as she could. Then it was time. “Oh god… oh god… I’m coming… I’m coming!!” he shouted as she felt the hot creamy blast hit the back of her throat, which she greedily swallowed down.

He continued to pump away in her mouth and she continued to swallow the delicious heat that poured out of him. Eventually all that remained were spasms but she still would not release him. She continued to suck, nibble, kiss and swirl her tongue around his cock for several more minutes before finally letting him go.

He dropped to his knees in front of her, breathless. He buried his head in her lap and drew in long ragged breaths between the kisses that he planted along her inner thighs. He grabbed the waistband of her pyjama bottoms and her panties and ripped them both off in the same motion. Still on his knees, he spread her legs and began to explore.

Using his flesh hand he reached up beneath her shirt and pushed her bra up so he could squeeze her left breast, then her right. She shimmied out of the remains of her clothing and threw them on the floor beside the bed.

They were both completely naked now. He clambered up into a position where he could kiss her but still left his cool metal fingers to caress her legs and thighs.

“What do you want me to do? I’ll do anything…” he whispered hot against her throat. She fell all the way back on the mattress and pulled him along with her as she went. “I… I want your fingers… inside me…” she said softly.

Then she grabbed his human hand and added, “but not these ones…” and looked at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Brief confusion was quickly followed with understanding and a wicked smile. “Really now…” he said as he wiggled his metal fingers in the air above her. “You want these… here?” he teased as he slid his metal hand down her thigh.

She nodded wordlessly.

“Alright… how about here…?” he opened her slit with his cool metal fingertips and was teasing her with light flicks. She nodded again, only this time followed it with a moan.

“How about here?” he said as he swirled his index finger in a circular motion over and around her clit.

“Oh god yes…” she moaned as she trembled under his touch. He soon added an additional digit as he gently fingered her. “Mmmmm how’s that?”

She giggled and pressed her lips into his throat.

He then slipped his middle and index fingers inside her and she felt the most incredible sensation.

“Are you… are they VIBRATING?” she whimpered as the intense rush of pleasure flowed through her as his entire metal hand began to buzz and shake.

He grinned devilishly. “Surprise!” and laughed as she keened against him.

He had three fingers inside her now while his thumb gently stroked her clit in long circular motions. It felt incredible. There were no words to describe the intensity of what he was doing to her.

He kissed her deeply as he continued to fuck her with his hand. She moaned, writhed and squirmed under his touch as she pulled herself into him and sank her teeth into his right shoulder.

She arched her back and began to thrash. He held her in place with his right arm as his left remained locked into position between her legs. “Oh god… Bucky… Buuuuckyyyy…” her whole body went rigid as her orgasm exploded.

He continued to rub her clit in such a furious fashion that she soon came a second time. She cried out in a delicious mixture of agony and ecstasy and he immediately covered her mouth with his in a possessive gesture.

“Mine!” He breathed hard into her ear, “You’re mine! Always. Promise me baby. Please…” She locked her arms around his neck and pulled his face close to hers as her body continued to float on waves of pleasure.

Her own breath coming in ragged spurts she managed to reply. “Yours. Always. F-forever. I promise you,” she stared into his eyes and was stunned to see tears there.

“Hey! What’s wrong?” she kissed the tears that fell to his cheekbones from his eyelashes.

He looked at her, slightly embarrassed. “N-nothing’s wrong,” he replied sheepishly. “I… I just don’t think I’ve ever been… ever been this happy before…and it’s all because of you,” he said as he pressed his lips to her forehead.

She pulled him into a deeper embrace. “I love you Bucky,” she said as she kissed him. “I love you so much sometimes I feel like I’m going to explode. You? You are my… everything. You are my life. You are my love. I can’t imagine ever being without you.”

He stared at her in wonder. “I can’t imagine ever being without you either… you… you have made me… complete somehow. Does that even make any sense?

God I must sound like an idiot! I just love you so much.” He took her hand and kissed her palm.

“I would die for you.

I would kill for you.

I love you Sophie…”

As he buried his face in the crook of her neck she knew without a doubt that he meant every last word. Knowing what he was capable of his declaration scared her… and yet also made her feel like the most loved and cherished person in the world.

Several moments passed before either of them spoke again. Theirs was a comfortable silence. They’d both just poured their hearts out and were content to know the other felt the same way.

She reached up to trace her right ring finger softly along his brow, down the bridge of his nose, under the curve of his dimpled chin and back up to circle his cheekbones one at a time.

He kept his eyes closed and smiled as he reveled in her gentle touch. When she reached his cupid’s bow he kissed her fingertip. He opened his eyes and stared at her in wonder. She smiled back and pulled him in for a deep kiss. He cradled her jaw line with his metal hand and sighed with happiness as he returned her affection.

\----------

They spent the next several hours in bed and only came up for air when their appetites for food and drink outmatched their need to constantly touch each other. It was a little past four o’clock when Bucky remembered the idea he’d had of exploring the Old Port with Sophie just before his fight with Yuri. He wanted to forget the violence and make newer and better memories starting then and there.

“Hey what do you say we get out of here?” he said as he cleared the table.

“What do you have in mind?” she asked as she finished off the last of her ginger ale.

“I want to go to Old Montreal. I have a feeling I’ve been there before, in another life,” he raised an eyebrow at her, “but this time I want to truly see it and not just speed through it if you know what I mean.”

She wiped her mouth and nodded her understanding, “I believe I do.”

Neither of them spoke aloud what they’d both been thinking. It’s highly likely Bucky had assassinated someone there at some point. Which decade? Who knew.

“I know the perfect place to begin our tour!” she chirped as they went to get properly dressed for the outdoors. They couldn’t exactly hit the road wearing only their underwear now could they?

An hour later the Old Port of Montreal was certainly a sight to behold. Clusters of families, couples and groups of revelers poured out onto the quay as individuals rode by on bixi bikes, rollerblades and rented scooters. Not too far away some type of festival was happening as live music could be heard coming from the same direction as an outdoor stage.

A short distance away they could see the impressive exterior of the Montreal Science Centre with its signature artwork display out front. Kids clambered in and out of the main doors with their parents trailing not far behind them. Their collective happiness seemed to be contagious as not a single person within view had anything less than a smile on their face.

Walking along the quaint cobblestone streets reminded Bucky of the time he spent in Europe during various decades. The individual circumstances, though much darker in both tone and memory, did offer a glimpse of certain romantic aspects of the old cities.

“Growing up here in Montreal I never came out here much,” Sophie said as she gestured to the expanse of the port. “I guess I never really understood the tourist appeal.”

She took a deep breath as she looked out on the water as the sun began to set. “Looking at it now,” she shrugged, “I think I get why people like it.” She glanced up at him as he watched her curiously.

“So what’s your conclusion?” he asked as he reached out to smooth away a few strands of loose hair off her forehead.

“I think to truly enjoy this place, you need someone exceptional to share it with,” she smiled up at him. “I finally have that exceptional someone.”

His brilliant smile lit up the dusky sky.

“So what do you want to do first?” she asked as she gestured toward all the options that lay before them. Exploring the festival, checking out the science centre, renting rollerblades or simply walking along the pier.

Bucky took his time before answering. “I want to go back there,” he said as he gestured with his thumb over his shoulder in the direction they’d just come from.

“What? Why?” she asked.

“Notre-Dame Basilica. I want to see it,” His eyes darkened for a moment as if a memory had just been unlocked. “No, I need to see it.”

She studied him. “Okay, if you’re sure that’s what you want…” he nodded, then reached for her hand as they made their way back to the grandest church in all of Quebec.

It took a bit of time to make their way to the main entrance as it was packed with people who wanted to get a look inside. Sophie sensed Bucky was uncomfortable to be that close to so many people so she held his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. His breathing slowed and his shoulders relaxed. He looked over and winked at her with a shy grin.

They finally made it inside and it was a breathtaking sight to behold. The immense cavernous size was jaw-dropping to be sure. They stared up in unison at the ornate ceiling, all the stained glass and the beautiful artwork. Despite not playing a single note the grand-sized pipe organ was stunning to see in all its grandeur.

“I think I might have come here once on a school field trip, probably second or third grade,” Sophie whispered in Bucky’s ear. “A lifetime ago…” she admired the intricate woodwork of the pews, staircases and mouldings.

The crowds of tourists made it almost impossible to stay in one spot for too long so they allowed themselves to be swept up in the natural flow of the group’s movement. Suddenly Bucky stopped in his tracks. Startled, Sophie looked up at him. He was staring at a pair of spiral staircases not far from where they stood.

“Honey, you okay?” she squeezed his hand again but this time the tension in his body remained.

“Let’s go!” he urged her quietly but in a very haunted tone. She offered no argument but simply nodded and followed as he led her back outside against the flowing tide of tourists.

The sun had set and the street lamps all blazed with golden light. Bucky didn’t stop until they were back at the quay not far from the science centre. He stumbled over to a bench and collapsed onto it. Sophie rushed over to sit beside him.

“Baby… talk to me. What’s going on? What happened back there?” she held his face in her hands as he tried to articulate his words.

“Breathe Bucky… just breathe. Take your time. We’re not going anywhere,” she cooed words of assurance as she pressed their foreheads together.

Just then a group of curious tourists stopped to watch her display of affection toward Bucky; she looked over at them sharply and hissed “Take a picture it’ll last longer!” before flipping them off. Scandalized, the group took off in a huff. Sophie didn’t give a flying fuck if she’d offended them.

Turning back to Bucky she gently kissed his cheeks and lips. “Are you okay?” she asked before pressing her mouth to his again.

He kissed her deeply before he pulled back and nodded.

“Yeah… it’s just…” he looked really sad as he spoke, “I think… no I don’t think… I know…

I know I killed someone in there.”

His voice dropped to a whisper, “I don’t remember exactly when it happened or what my mission was for but… I remember climbing one of those spiral staircases. I assumed my position in one of the darkest corners and I just… waited. I waited for a long time for my mark to show.

When he finally did… I took him out. I didn’t even think about it. I shot him in the head from clear across the basilica.

I remember his face but I don’t remember his name. All I know is that Hydra wanted him dead.

I… I killed him Sophie. I killed him…” tears filled his eyes and she pulled him into a bear hug. He sobbed quietly into her neck for a long time.

“I’ve killed so many people!” his breath was hot against her skin.

“How can you even look at me? How can you love me knowing what I monster I am?” He shot up from the bench and backtracked away from her.

“Baby… wait! Please! Come back here… Bucky!” she called out to him. It was no use.

He’d been triggered.

He was running.


	12. The Bazaar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haunted by his past, Bucky falls back into old habits as a way to cope with buried traumas breaking through to the surface.

The tightness in Bucky’s chest was almost unbearable. It was like he was suddenly strapped into his old bindings that Hydra had kept him in when he dared to rebel and they wanted to remind him of his place under their steel toed boot. As he stared at the massive expanse of the port he felt like no matter how hard he tried he just couldn’t breathe. He quickened his pace and allowed himself to be swallowed up by the crowd. He knew it was unfair to leave Sophie behind but he couldn’t let her be near him right now. He was afraid he might hurt her.

Ten minutes later he felt no better. He doubled back and bolted for the nearest alley. At a distance he saw Sophie sitting on the bench he’d previously left her at; she was hugging her waist and leaning forward as if she was trying to disappear into herself. He could tell she’d been crying as her face remained flushed but she seemed to have forced the tears stop as people had started to stare at her.

He watched as she wiped her eyes, took a deep breath and then stood up to face the direction he’d gone in. She went up on her tiptoes as she craned her neck to look above the crowd but gave up in frustration. A moment later she was standing on the back of the bench trying once again to find any sign of him. Again, nothing. She only climbed back down when a security guard admonished her. He watched as she held her hands out palms up as she tried to explain herself; the guard merely shook his head and pointed in the direction of the metro as if to order her off the port grounds.

She nodded, hung her head in shame and began to head toward the path that would take her back past the basilica and toward the metro station. She dragged her feet and after every half dozen paces or so she’d turn back to look at the quay with fading hopes of catching sight of him. As she neared the alley where he stood in shadow he was tempted to reach out to her but stopped himself. He could feel his panic beginning to return and he didn’t want her to see it.

As she disappeared down the cobblestone street he finally turned and fled. He felt trapped in a flood of memories that poured out of his subconscious; he saw snippets of different death scenes all ending with his signature kill shot. Men, women, groups; soldiers and civilians, generals and politicians. Their faces stared back at him. Some with slack jaws as blood spilled from their mouths and their bullet wounds in tandem. Other stared at him with vile hatred while a few more looked on in sadness as if to ask _Why me? Why did you kill me? What did I do?_

In his mind's eye he once again saw the interior of the basilica. The scene that had triggered all of this madness. He couldn’t stop it. The eerie echo of the shot. The beautiful rainbows of sunshine that filtered through the colourful stained glass juxtaposed against the sight of blood pooling beneath the body of the person he’d just murdered.

He remembered how cool and calm he’d been as he disassembled his weapon and placed the pieces back into their hidden compartments inside a modified guitar case. Anyone who saw him would assume he was merely a minstrel passing by; a busker on his way to the metro to make beautiful music and hopefully earn a few coins from commuters on their way to or from the turnstiles.

Yet he was no mere minstrel. Not an innocent busker was he; no. No he was a cold, calculated killer with only one mission: to kill whomever it was that Hydra deemed neccessary to die. No time outs. No second chances. When Hydra wanted you dead there was no reversing that command.

The Winter Soldier would eventually find you.

He would end you.

Back in the present Bucky began to feel dizzy. He slumped against the building, slid down to a seated position and held his head in his hands. Once again the cold metal on the left felt alien; after seventy years he was still occasionally taken aback by it. He stared at his printless metal fingertips and for a split second wondered what it would feel like if he’s just jammed them into his eyes. Would the visions stop then? Would the pain end? As soon as the thought entered his mind he dismissed it. There was no point in entertaining that notion.

He pulled himself back to his feet and assessed his situation. The tightness in his chest, though not as severe as before, was still very present. Though he’d never actually hyperventilated he couldn’t rule out it happening at some point. He needed something to focus on, something that would give him purpose and satisfaction. He straightened up completely, slapped himself in the face twice, rolled out his shoulders a few times and cracked his neck loudly as he shook out his legs one at a time.

He’d limbered up enough that he was beginning to feel normal again. He knew he should go back to the apartment and apologize to Sophie and try to give her a reasonable explanation of what had happened to him; yet he felt another urgent calling as well.

He needed to complete a task. He needed to take out Hydra.

Or more specifically, a Hydra base.

\----------

Montreal, Quebec was very attractive to Hydra for a number of reasons. A stronghold in North America that maintained a uniquely European flavour, it was also a secret international hub for many of the world’s spies, assassins and other assorted merchants of death who were willing to pay, and be paid, to “shape the century”. Hydra had had several safehouses established in the Canadian city since the 1960s and as far as Bucky knew a few of them were still operational.

Thirty minutes later he was at the front door of one such location. It was a former flophouse turned homestead manor that was eventually remodeled into a triplex apartment building in the city’s east end. Hydra had maintained ownership of the property for several decades under a series of fake names and corporations and, over the years, had used it as a front for several illegal trades including but not limited to prostitution, drug running and human trafficking.

The sun had set long ago. There had been no lights visible on any of the upper floors when he’d first begun his approach; now at the front of the ground floor apartment Bucky stared at the door for several minutes as he quietly listened for any signs of activity within the property. Finally satisfied, he quietly picked the locked and made his way inside.

On the surface it was nothing special. Outdated furnishings dotted the interior, crappy faded artwork hung on the walls and the kitchen appliances looked like they’d seen better days. Looking deeper, Bucky saw all the classic signs of it being a Hydra safe house. He pulled down the paintings and cracked the safes hidden behind them and stuffed all the cash and weapons he could find in an unremarkable duffel bag that had long ago been thrown on the floor of the hallway closet.

In the bathroom he nicked their fully stocked med kit. In the bedroom he pulled up all the loose floorboards where stacks of international currencies were stashed in clear plastic zippered bags. He also found several pounds of narcotics, which he declined to take along with him. He was never one for drugs either taking them or selling them. It was likely an effect of Zola’s bastardized supersoldier serum as narcotics had never had any real effect on him when his handlers at Hydra experimented on him to see how he’d react to being given obscene amounts of cocaine and meth in a single sitting. He’d just sweat it all out as his body burned the drugs down to nothing every time. They eventually gave up and moved on to other… tests.

He shook his head violently as he forced the memories out of his conscious thoughts. He slammed the floorboards back down and resumed his search for additional items throughout the apartment that could be of use to him.

There wasn’t much in the kitchen except for a couple of bottles of vodka in the freezer. He grabbed one, cracked it open and took a long swig. He enjoyed the burn of the alcohol as it slid down his throat. A third of the bottle gone in a flash, he felt nothing. Much like narcotics, alcohol had zero effect. It might as well have been a bottle of spring water for all the good it did him.

He missed the days where he could tie one on and get rip-roaring drunk with his best friend Steve. Before he left New York to join his fellow soldiers of the 107th Bucky had spent the evening with Steve and a couple of broads whose names he couldn’t recall. He remembered Steve though. Every so often a new set of memories about Steve would come back to him and he was able to fit more and more of the missing puzzle pieces together.

Only Steve was a scrawny little thing back then. Most of his memories of him were from before Steve joined the army and met Erskine and Carter. No, his Steve wasn’t the giant guy that Bucky had read about online, the one who helped save New York City from an alien invasion. That guy… that Steve… the one who fell into the Potomac and Bucky instinctively knew to go in after him… that guy scared him.

He took another long, pointless swig of the vodka and wiped his mouth with the back of his flesh hand. At some point he knew he needed to see him. But not today. No. Today he needed to find Sophie and make things right again.

“Sorry Stevie,” he whispered to the empty kitchen, “I’m not ready to see you yet.”

He finished the bottle, wiped any traces of finger and hand prints from it and every other surface he’d touched in the apartment and then set everything back to the way it was before he stepped inside. Eventually some Hydra agents would return and he didn’t want them to figure out they’d been robbed right off the bat. He smirked to himself; let them get the shock of their lives when they least expect it.

\----------

It was going to be impossible to take any kind of public transportation back to the apartment with everything that he had to carry. He also ruled out flagging down a taxi as he didn’t want his photo taken with a security cam or have to answer any questions from a nosey driver. That left going on foot. It’s a good thing the serum gave him a photographic memory; Bucky recalled the best way to get back to Sophie was to make a beeline for the waterway and find the Lachine Canal.

He walked southward until he ended up on a bike path that snaked along the canal. He gazed out across the water and tried to think of how he’d ever be able to explain to Sophie what had happened and why he abandoned her. Could she forgive him? Would he deserve to be forgiven?

He was not far from her neighbourhood now. As he looked up at the night sky and studied the stars he could hear the occasional car on the street behind him and also the sound of the water as the small waves lapped at the shoreline; other than that it was completely still. He closed his eyes and took a series of long and slow deep breaths.

He walked along the canal for a few more blocks when he heard heavy footfalls quickly coming up behind him. He turned to see a teenage boy running along the path. He looked scared out of his wits as he flew past Bucky without a word.

Bucky watched as he disappeared in the distance then stiffened a few moments later as he heard another set of heavy footsteps coming toward him from where the boy had first appeared.

The second guy looked to be about mid-twenties. Slightly stocky, shorter than Bucky by about three inches but he walked with major attitude. He stomped over to where Bucky stood. “You seen a scrawny kid come runnin’ by here?” he demanded.

Bucky studied him. “Maybe. Maybe not. What’s it to you?”

The guy sneered. “Look asshole I don’t have any beef with you but I just might if you get in my way. Did you see that kid or not?”

Bucky was amused. “No,” he replied after a few moments passed, “I didn’t see anyone.” He continued to stare at the man as he waited to see what he’d do or say next.

The man didn’t disappoint. He drew a small blade and pointed it at Bucky’s face. “Don’t you lie to me you piece of shit. You saw him! Now you tell me where he went!”

Bucky laughed, which only infuriated the guy more. “You think I’m playing at something here? I will cut you!”

Bucky stopped laughing but a cold grin remained on his face. “Go ahead and try,” he growled as he took a step forward, “I dare you.”

The man was startled but composed himself quickly. “I’m serious!” he screeched as he looked around furtively, “I’ll fucking stab you!”

Bucky glared at the man. “You wouldn’t be the first,” he hissed, “but I guarantee you one thing: if you come at me with that knife the last thing you’ll ever see is your own blade before it hits you right between the eyes.”

The guy stumbled back a step and the hand that held the knife trembled ever so slightly. He seemed to become even smaller somehow yet he still tried to be the tougher guy. “I’m not alone!” he yelped as he pulled a cell phone from his pants pocket. He didn’t even have a chance to hit a single button before Bucky snatched it out of his hand and tossed it into the canal.

“Oops,” he said as he gave an exaggerated shrug. The man gaped at him open-mouthed. “DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!” the man screamed, red-faced. Bucky just stared at him.

“Nope,” he replied, “Don’t know. Don’t care.” He started to walk away when the man began to curse at him. Bucky spun around, and in two long strides had the man by the throat with his gloved metal hand and slowly squeezed. “That’s enough out of you,” he hissed.

The guy went slack and fell to his knees when Bucky finally released him. As he turned away he heard the man mutter under his ragged breath, “You’re a dead man.” Bucky stopped and turned once again toward him.

“What did you just say?” he growled as he dropped his duffel bag and maneuvered into a modified crouch. It was a typical stance he’d used when hunting prey back when he was an assassin and was preparing to strike in hand to hand combat. In that moment he fell into it out of habit.

His body tingled. The edges of his vision reddened. His muscle memory had been triggered.

The man’s face turned ghost white. Bucky leapt at him, knocked him to the ground and landed feet first on his target’s chest. All the air in the man’s lungs was violently pushed out as Bucky hunkered down with his arms folded above his knees as put his full weight on the man's sternum. The knife was suddenly in Bucky’s right hand.

He studied the blade. It was nothing special. A basic spring-loaded number that could be found in any army surplus store for a few bucks. Still it appealed to him. He almost seemed to miss holding a blade on someone. Someone terrified.

The thought immediately horrified him and jerked him back to reality. He folded the blade and pocketed it as he straightened up and quickly stepped off the man’s bruised chest. In the past when he’d cut someone… it wasn’t by choice. He’d been ordered to do it by his handlers. Programmed.

But now… now there were no orders. No handlers. No programming.

Everything he did now was the result of a conscious decision he made of his own free will.

Free will that had been taken from him by Hydra but that he now possessed once again.

Despite being a jackass who had tried to intimidate him the man was no real threat. Not by Hydra standards anyway so he was hardly deserving of execution. A beatdown maybe but definitely not death.

He looked down at the whimpering fool that lay crumpled at his feet. Bucky was still angry but he knew he couldn’t punish the man beyond what he’d already done. Anything else would cross the line and he refused to return to that dark place.

Satisfied, Bucky turned around wordlessly, retrieved his duffel bag and started walking home. The sun would be coming up soon. Sophie would be waiting for him.

\----------


	13. Stargazer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief time apart gives both Bucky and Sophie a deeper understanding of their connection.  
> Their reunion proves explosive.

Bucky stared at the front door to the apartment for what felt like an age. Just beyond it he knew Sophie could be caught up in a whirlwind of emotions and he didn’t know what to expect. He knew he owed her an explanation but didn’t know where to begin.

He slipped his key in the lock, turned it and nudged the door open. The apartment was dark. Too dark.

He listened intently as he slowly lowered the duffel bag to the floor just in front of the closet and kicked it into a spot next to a pile of Sophie’s slippers and sneakers. He wasn’t worried. Yet.

He shrugged off his jacket and gloves and tossed them onto the couch. He scanned the living room, dining area and kitchen before silently making his way down the hall to her bedroom.

Their bedroom.

He gently pushed the door open, flipped on the light and took a peek inside. Nothing. He backtracked to the bathroom and found no one there either.

Sophie was gone.

He went over to the landline phone and punched in her cell number; the call went straight to voicemail after a single ring. He hung up wordlessly.

He walked back to the kitchen, pulled a Stella Artois out of the fridge and took a long swig. He stared at the label as he swallowed and then finished the bottle a moment later. As he pulled the cap off a second Stella he heard the front door open.

Sophie took one look at the new duffel bag and immediately looked up and locked eyes with Bucky. Her expression was unreadable.

They stood stock still for several seconds before he took half a step forward drink in hand, offering it to her. She eyed the bottle warily but then accepted it. She slowly drained the contents before she looked at him again.

“Hey,” he whispered.

She swallowed hard. “H-hey…”

He took another step forward. “Are you okay?”

She cocked her head to the side as she looked up at him. “That was going to be my opening line…”

He risked a half grin but she didn’t smile back.

He snapped on the living room floor lamp, walked over and sat on the couch then beckoned for her to follow. Once side by side it was though both of them had lost the ability to articulate themselves.

She awkwardly picked at the bottle label with her bitten-to-the-quick nails and he fidgeted with the plates of his metal hand. At one point Bucky took a deep breath as if to say something but after several moments just let it all back out again with a long sigh.

Sophie finally broke the ice. “I can’t begin to imagine what you’ve been through…” she said as she stared at her torn cuticles. “I don’t just mean today. I mean… all of it. The years spent doing… violent things.” She looked over at Bucky but didn’t try to touch him.

“I don’t think anyone can really know,” she continued, “I want to try but I feel as though I’m not… I don’t know… I can’t think of the right words… I feel like I’m not supposed to or I’m not allowed to…”

She dropped her hands in her lap. “Today when you disappeared… part of me understood. Understood that there was something happening with you that I couldn’t help you work through.”

Bucky sat with his arms wrapped tightly around his stomach. He didn’t even seem to be aware that he was rocking himself slightly.

“But when you… when you took off,” her voice began to shake, “when you left I felt… terror. Panic.”

“Abandoned.” He said in a small voice. She squeezed her eyes shut then nodded.

“I have no right!” she cried, “I have no right to make this about me. I fucking hate myself right now that my first reaction to your pain was to think about how it triggered me!” She jumped up from the couch and began to pace.

Bucky hugged himself even tighter and lowered his head to his forearms.

She stopped crying but continued to pace. Finally she dropped down to her knees in front of him yet still wouldn’t allow herself to touch him.

“Bucky…” she whispered. “Bucky I’m sorry.”

When he finally raised his head to look back at her they were both stunned silent as tears streamed down his face. His entire body began to shake.

“Sophie…” he choked. “Soph… help me…”

A split second later she had him in her arms as he cried, screamed and wailed. They clung so tightly to each other they left angry red marks where their fingers dug deep into each other’s flesh.

Eventually silence descended upon them. At one point they’d crumpled downward and ended up locked in an embrace on the hardwood floor. Sophie cradled Bucky’s head to her shoulder and began to softly hum a sweet melody in his ear as she gently played with his long dark hair. His breathing had relaxed somewhat but his arms stayed tightly wrapped around her and their legs remained intertwined.

It’s always darkest before the dawn. The first rays of sunlight had finally managed to break through the heavy curtains. A new day had begun.

\----------

They’d fallen asleep. When Bucky finally woke from his slumber he saw the clock read 9:13am. He looked over at Sophie and saw last night’s makeup had smeared across her cheekbones sometime during the night. He smiled as he leaned in to kiss her.

At the touch of his lips her eyes fluttered open. They stared at each other again but only this time the stress they’d each been carrying seemed to have lifted. He cracked a grin at her and this time she was able to smile back.

They took turns kissing again: he planted soft kisses all along her forehead and jaw line as she pressed her lips to his nose and cheeks. When she scratched the scruff on his chin with her fingertips he grabbed them and kissed each one and then held her hand to his face.

“I love you,” he whispered. Sophie opened her mouth to respond in kind when she was cut off by the jarring sound of the landline phone’s ringtone. Irked, she untangled herself from Bucky and half climbed onto the couch to reach for the receiver.

“Hello…?” she mumbled.

“Sophie! It’s Erin. Are you coming in to school today or what? Look I know it’s practically a done deal with it being so close to the end and all but you really shouldn’t miss these last lessons before we graduate. Besides, who else am I going to get drunk with at lunch today?” she shrieked with laughter at her own joke.

Sophie rubbed her eyes and was appalled to see mascara streaks on the back of her hand. “Oh my God Erin. I’m sorry. Last night was… well, it was a little crazy,” she looked back at Bucky who was back to snoozing on the hardwood floor.

“Look, I’m not going to come in today. I’m tired as fuck. Can I take a peek at your notes later?”

Erin snorted. “Crazy huh? What kind of crazy are we talking here? The good kind where we drink wine to celebrate or the bad kind where we do tequila shots and plot world domination?”

Sophie giggled. “It’s a bit of both. Don’t worry though it has a happy ending so no tequila required. For now.”

“Ugh. Okay. But you owe me the full story my dear. Look Soph I gotta run. Would it be okay with you if I grab a couple of your spare fan brushes out of your locker? I’m right here in front of it.”

Sophie could hear the sounds of locker doors opening and shutting in the background along with bursts of laughter from some of the other students. There seemed to be an element of camaraderie in the air.

“Mine are a wreck and I want to try out that new stroke technique we studied on Friday. What do you say? Gimme your lock combo?” Erin implored.

Sophie yawned and stretched before responding. “Sure no problem it’s 17-32-12. Help yourself. Hey! Just please make sure you clean them really well before you put them back, okay? I hate when the bristles get stiff! The brushes end up all ragged and shit.”

“Yes Mom!” Erin snarked back with a cheeky edge in her voice. “I’d hate for you to end up with raggedy---”

Sophie heard a strange bang sound before the phone clicked loudly and went dead.

“Erin? Erin are you still there? Erin!”

Silence.

“That was weird,” she said as she slipped the receiver onto the cradle. Bucky sat up and stretched his arms as he stifled a yawn.

“What was weird?” he mumbled as he tried to get back on his feet but his stiff leg muscles gave him a hard time.

“The connection cut out while we were still talking,” she said as she looked over at the phone with a puzzled look on her face.

“Could be anything,” he said as he rubbed the small of her back with his flesh hand. “Service interruption. Maybe she dropped her phone. Is she up to date on her bill?” he grinned mischievously.

She knocked her shoulder into his. “Yes! Well, at least I think so…” she giggled as she stole one last kiss from him before getting to her feet.

She held out one hand to him and pulled him up when he accepted it. Suddenly the seriousness from the previous night returned.

“You know… we can talk about anything you want to talk about,” she offered. He nodded before he planted a kiss in her hair above her ear.

“Same goes for you,” he countered, “We should talk about how you felt at the Old Port after I got triggered.

I think we could both benefit from that,” he said quietly.

She rested her head on his chest for a few moments. “You’re probably right. But first I must get to the coffee maker. And take a shower. Oh God I need a shower!” she called behind her as she made her way to the kitchen to turn on the machine.

He followed closely and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind as she reached up into the cabinet to grab their mugs as well as the new package of Tim Horton’s medium roast she’d bought a couple of days earlier.

He kissed the back of her neck, her shoulders and bit her earlobes playfully as he pressed his pelvis up against her lower back.

“Wouldn’t you rather take that shower first?” he suggested softly as he breathed heavily into her ear. She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair and caressed his face with her fingertips before turning around to face him.

He stifled a giggle. She looked at him sideways. “Whaaat? What is it?”

“Nothing!” he chirped a little to cheerily. “You’re beautiful. Stunning!”

She narrowed her eyes at him and then caught a glimpse of the smeared mascara that was still on the back of her hand.

“Oh my FUCKING GOD!” she shrieked as she bolted for the bathroom to look at her reflection. Sure enough her makeup was a train wreck.

“GAHHHH!” she yelled as Bucky stifled the urge to belly laugh. He heard her turn the shower on and went to catch up with her.

“DO NOT look at me right now Bucky Barnes! I look like a goddamn raccoon!” she yowled as she stripped off her clothes and threw them above his head toward the open bedroom door.

When her panties landed on his metal shoulder he couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst out laughing. “Aww come on! I LOVE raccoons!”

He could hear her growling under the shower stream. “Honey it’s all good I swear. You’re beautiful to me no matter what.”

More growling.

He picked up all her tossed clothing and put them in the hamper.

“Keep that up and you’re gonna start sounding like a raccoon too!” he teased.

He barely dodged the half-empty shampoo bottle she launched at him from behind the curtain. He chuckled, picked it up and brought it back over to the bathroom sink.

He stripped off his own clothes and stepped into the shower behind her. She turned around to face him, stomped her feet and looked up at him with saucer eyes. Her old make-up washed away, he thought she looked adorable with her soaked hair plastered to her forehead and cheeks.

“Where’s that shampoo?” she demanded. “Depends,” he answered, “will you throw it at my head again?”

She put her fists on her hips and puffed out her lower lip in defiance.

“Sooophie?” he gave her the most innocent wide-eyed expression he could muster.

It worked. She broke character and threw her arms around his neck amid peals of laughter. He lifted her up and squeezed her tightly to his chest with the biggest grin he’d had on his face in the longest time.

He kissed her deeply as he slowly lowered her to her feet back to the shower floor. She scratched the scruff on his chin with her nails and he let out a low rumble from the back of his throat. “You like when I do that don’t you?” Sophie whispered as she nuzzled his jaw line.

“You know I do,” Bucky replied gruffly as he picked her up again and wrapped her legs around his waist. She locked her arms around his shoulders and tangled one hand in his hair as she bit his throat and kissed his Adam’s apple. With her other hand she reached down to his massive erection and began to massage the shaft. He moaned her name as she slowly worked on him with her palm.

He lifted her up higher and pulled her back down slowly onto his cock. She trembled slightly as she welcomed him in and he immediately thrust his full thick length deep inside her. He kissed and bit her neck as he fucked her up against the shower wall.

It was paradise.

She dug her nails into his shoulder blades as he thrust his broad hips again and again. He bit her hard enough on her neck to make her yelp and he instantly pulled back to inspect the bite mark.

“Oh fuck! Soph I’m sorry I got a little carried away…”

She didn’t say a word, just grabbed his hair on the back of his head, forced his chin up and bit down hard on the same spot he’d bitten her. It was his turn to yelp. Their eyes blazed as they stared at each other.

“Me too,” she snarked.

His eyes widened as did his grin. “Oh so you wanna play it that way do you?” She shrieked with laughter as he pretended to savage her with his teeth along the length of her throat all the while still thrusting his cock deep inside her.

With ragged breaths he called out, “Oh God… Soph… S-Sophie… I’m gonna come… mmm…”

She kissed him hard on his open mouth as he spoke. “Shhh Bucky. Baby… let me down.”

He shook his head but slowed his rhythm slightly.

“You’ll love what I’m about to do. I promise,” she ran her tongue all along his jaw line as she breathed heavily in his ear.

He reluctantly released her and she immediately dropped to her knees in front of him. He stared at her slack-jawed as she slowly drew his cock into her mouth and began to suck.

He leaned forward and rested both hands on the shower wall above her head as he spread his legs wide. With her right hand she played with his balls while she squeezed and pumped the cock shaft with her left as she gently sucked on the head. She alternated between teasing the tip and the shaft with the tip of her tongue with swirling the head in a French-kiss style lick.

“Ohhh fuuuuck!” he moaned.

He felt compelled to move and so instinctively thrust forward slightly; her reaction was to lock her right arm around his left thigh to hold him in place.

She popped his cock out of her mouth. “No!” she ordered.

He whimpered yet submitted. She stopped long enough to look up at him. “Sorry baby I have to be in control otherwise I can’t do this…” she implored, her large eyes staring up at him from the most vulnerable position imaginable.

“N-no… I’m sorry… it just happened. I didn’t plan to…” he said as he cupped her face with both hands and ran his flesh thumb over her lips.

“I know what you can do,” she whispered as she took his hands and encouraged him to grasp her hair. Following her lead he gently grabbed two fistfuls as she continued to suck him off.

The combination of her magic tongue and hands along with being able to grip her hair was almost enough to make him come immediately. She sensed it and slowed down her hands and mouth so he could calm back down again. After a few more rounds of stopping and starting he begged her to let him finish.

“Oh God… it’s happening. I can’t… I can’t hold on anymore. Gahhhh!” he threw his head back and roared as he gripped her hair tightly and exploded in her throat. She kept his left thigh locked in her right arm and swallowed several mouthfuls of heat and sweetness as she pumped him dry with her hand and mouth.

His cock pulsed and vibrated in her mouth as she continued to suck and lick up and down the head and shaft hungrily. His vocalizations were reduced to a combination of delighted babble, groans, moans and even moments of high-pitched laughter as he rode wave after wave of what felt like the most amazing orgasm of his whole fucking life.

When she was finally done she ended the blow job with a delicate kiss on the tip of his cock as she looked up into his shiny eyes. He stared down at her in wonder.

“Care to help a girl up?” she smiled as she opened up her arms from her kneeling position.

He immediately released her hair from his fists, pulled her up and crushed her to his chest.

“Sophie… I can’t believe what just happened. W-wow. I mean… fuuuck!”

She grinned and then kissed him deeply; he could taste himself on her tongue. He trailed several kisses down her neck and took one of her nipples between his lips and began to suck. Her breathing quickened as he gently pinched her other nipple between his metal fingers.

“Ooooh God!” she moaned as she felt the metal vibrate against her delicate skin. The water from the showerhead rained down and soaked them both all over again. Bucky picked her up and twisted around so that they switched positions; she was now up against the wall and he was immediately on his knees before her.

“My sweet darling Sophie,” he said as he nuzzled her belly and made his way downward, “I do believe it’s now my turn to make you see stars.”

He pulled her left leg up and swung it over his right shoulder and positioned himself in front of her. He looked up at her with a mischievous smirk before he dove back down to lick and suck on her clit.

She stiffened up against the wall as the waves of pleasure began to hit her. He traced long lines up and down her slit and then thrust his tongue inside as deep as it could go. She braced herself with one hand above her head on the wall as she pinched her own nipple as he ate her out.

His breath was hot against her swollen clit as he continued to tease it with flicks. Her legs began to shake and he took it as a sign that her orgasm was about to explode. Taking a cue from her earlier performance he slowed down long enough for her body to recover before he once again ramped up the intensity.

He looked up at her. “Tell me you want it!” he demanded.

Her eyes glazed for a moment as she struggled to focus on him.

“I-I don’t know what you mean…” her breath was ragged.

Yes you do Soph. Say it. Say you want it!” he growled.

“I w-want it,” she squeaked out.

“You can do better than that Sophie! Come on! Beg me…”

She continued to drag in ragged breaths as he sucked her clit between his teeth.

“Beg me for it Sophie. Use your words.”

After several excruciating and delicious moments she caved. “I want it! GIVE IT TO ME!”

He lashed at her with his tongue.

“Say it. SAY IT!” His eyes blazed.

She grabbed two fistfuls of his hair and screamed, “I w-want the METAL! Use your metal hand to fuck me!”

He growled in victory and immediately thrust two fingers inside her and made the “come here” gesture as he licked her folds and tickled her clit with the tip of his tongue. His metal fingers buzzed and vibrated inside her, slowly at first until he decided to ramp up the speed and intensity.

Sophie writhed in a glorious mixture of agony and ecstasy as Bucky fucked her with his metal hand while he ate her. She twisted and pinched her nipples again as her orgasm began to build up once more.

“Bucky!” she wailed, “Baby… I need to come. P-please let me come.”

He growled again as he continued to work on her only this time he didn’t stop. He was going for it full throttle. He continued to thrust four metal fingers inside her and used his metal thumb as a mini-vibrator on her clit as he looked up to watch her face as she was about to come on his hand.

She threw her head back and screamed as her orgasm hit her hard. He reached out with his flesh hand and grabbed her wrist then maneuvered in such a way that they were holding hands as she came.

The shockwaves continued to rock her body for several more moments before Bucky finally, mercifully, released her. Her legs were shaking so hard he immediately steadied her in his arms as they waited for her strength to return. Sophie threw her arms around his neck in order to be able to stay upright.

“Oh. My. Fucking. GOD…” she half-laughed, half-cried as she buried her face in his neck.

He shushed her soothingly as he stroked her hair before reaching out for the shampoo bottle that sat an arm’s length way.

“Here, let me,” he said as he began to gently lather her hair. She let out a happy groan as he massaged her scalp. After rinsing she returned the favour and lathered him up with a scalp massage of his own. After they soaped each others’ bodies and rinsed off they managed to stumble their way out of the bathroom and over to the bedroom where they collapsed on the bed together naked, wet hair and all, and fell asleep in each others’ arms.

\----------

**Author's Note:**

> Non-canon OFC meets the former Winter Soldier
> 
> As of chapter 10 this fic is rated Explicit for sexual content. 
> 
> As with Part 1 of this series all chapter titles will be the names of some of my favourite songs by Canadian rock band The Tea Party. Check them out at teaparty(dot)com
> 
> Comments are welcome! I hope you like what I've written for Bucky Barnes.


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